Regulating Assisted Reproductive Technology in Nigeria: An Urgent Need (Published)

Infertility is now a common medical problem in Nigeria. Statistics reveal that the rate of infertility in Nigeria is 30 %.  Many couples and persons seeking to have children are finding it difficult, if not impossible. Thus there is a high resort to medical assistance in the form of Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART). Indeed, there has been a lot of development in ART and medical advances and inroads have been made in the field. No doubt, this has brought succour to many couples and persons seeking to become parents. However, the increase in the demand and use of ART has led to diverse uncensored and unregulated practices, abuse of medical procedure, reproduction tourism and baby factories. This raises a lot of ethical and legal issues like egg and sperm donation, the fate of unused gametes, providing ART services to Single Parents or Same sex parents, at present, there is no national law nor body regulating ART in Nigeria. This work, adopting a doctrinal approach, highlighted the Nigerian practice of ART and considered fundamental ethical and legal issues arising from the increased demand and use of ART in Nigeria and made recommendations on the effective regulation and practice of ART in Nigeria such as uniform national law, national ART regulating body, subsidizing the cost of ART services, among others.

 

Keywords: Infertility, Nigeria, children, reproductive technology

Legal Protection for All the Children: Dutch-American Comparison of Lesbian and Gay Parent Adoptions (Published)

The purpose of this article is to examine the recent developments concerning same-gender parent adoptions in the Unites States and the Netherlands, comparing the different routes these changes have taken. The first section of the article examines the present status of the case law in both countries. It begins with an analysis of the court decisions in the United States, where case law now makes it legal in numerous states for gays and lesbians to adopt, either as >co-parents= or as >strangers= of the child. The section also includes an analysis of the recent Dutch case before the highest court in the Netherlands, the Hoge Raad, involving a request for a co-parent adoption by two women who were raising their children together as a family. The next section of the article sets out the current status of Dutch law as it affects gay and lesbian co-parents, including present adoption laws, joint parental authority, and registered partnerships. The article=s fourth section examines proposed legislation in the two countries concerning the right of same-gender couples, and homosexuals in general, to adopt. The article then concludes with a comparison and analysis of the Dutch and American legal histories concerning same-gender co-parent adoptions. This section examines the differences in the two countries= legal systems, the social status of homosexuals, the social acceptance of adoption, and each country=s underlying assumptions about family law. The article concludes by pointing out how recognition of same-gender co-parent adoption is in the best interest of the children raised by same-gender couples.

Keywords: Dutch-American Comparison, Gay, Legal Protection, Lesbian, Parent Adoptions, children

APPRAISAL OF CULTURAL VICES AFFECTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA (Published)

The crux of this paper aimed at defining the concept culture and Human Rights, and to large extend analysis the various cultural factors under mining the smooth thriving of women and children rights currently, the cultural factors are, widowhood rites, female genital mutilation, early/forceful marriage, bride price, son preference/female infanticide, levirate marriage, ritual killing, wife beating, inheritance of wife, woman in purdah, on the part of the children are twins killing, child witchcraft ,child labour, street begging, child trafficking and finally possible solutions to ameliorate such cultural barriers by way of recommendation and conclusion.

Keywords: Cultural Vices, Human Rights Nigeria, Women, children