ARTIFICIAL WOMB TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA: RETHINKING SURROGACY, PARENTHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN 21st CENTURY.

Artificial womb technology represents one of the most revolutionary frontiers in reproductive medicine, with the potential to redefine gestation, parenthood, and reproductive rights as traditionally understood. As biomedical research advances toward the possibility of sustaining fetal development entirely outside the human body, legal and ethical questions emerge, particularly in jurisdictions like Nigeria where assisted reproductive technologies (ART) remain underregulated. This article explores the multifaceted implications of Artificial Womb Technology within the Nigerian legal landscape, examining how this disruptive innovation challenges conventional assumptions about motherhood, the legal status of the fetus, surrogacy, and child rights. The analysis reveals that current Nigerian laws rooted in traditional, gestational understandings of reproduction are ill-equipped to address the unique challenges posed by artificial gestation.

The article further examines the potential of Artificial Womb Technology to serve as an alternative to commercial surrogacy, a practice that remains controversial and largely unregulated in Nigeria. It evaluates the risks and opportunities of integrating artificial wombs into the Nigerian healthcare and legal system, including ethical concerns about commodification, reproductive justice, and social equity. Comparative insights are drawn from the United Kingdom, India, and South Africa, providing models of anticipatory governance and rights-based regulation. Based on these findings, the article proposes a comprehensive legal framework tailored to the Nigerian context one that redefines legal parenthood, ensures the rights of children born through Artificial Womb Technology, and establishes regulatory oversight. The article concludes that Nigeria has a rare opportunity to shape reproductive law in a way that anticipates scientific innovation while safeguarding human dignity, equality, and justice.