The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, under the umbrella of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), have issued a stern warning against the rising use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), describing the practice as incompatible with the Church’s moral and doctrinal teachings.
Delivering the message at the opening session of the 2025 Second Plenary in Akwa Ibom State, the President of CBCN and Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, condemned IVF as “gravely immoral,” stressing that it undermines human dignity and the sanctity of marriage.
“IVF separates the unitive and procreative aspects of the marital act, which the Church considers sinful. Additionally, it leads to the creation of multiple embryos, many of which are either discarded, frozen, or used for research. Each embryo is a human life with inherent dignity and a right to exist,” Archbishop Ugorji said.
The bishops also expressed concern over the growing number of fertility clinics in Nigeria, many of which they said are run by unqualified individuals. They warned that such centres expose unsuspecting couples to financial exploitation, serious medical risks, and even permanent infertility.
Archbishop Ugorji drew attention to another disturbing trend — young women, especially university students, selling their eggs to clinics in exchange for small financial incentives.
“These women often do so without being fully aware of the health consequences or the moral weight of their actions,” he lamented.
The CBCN, therefore, called on the government to urgently regulate the fertility industry to curb abuses. However, Ugorji emphasised that regulation does not make IVF morally acceptable for Catholics.
“The Church teaches that human life is sacred from conception. We cannot condone practices that commodify human embryos or treat them as disposable objects,” he said.
Instead, the bishops urged Catholic couples struggling with infertility to seek morally acceptable alternatives such as natural procreative technologies and adoption, while maintaining faith in God’s providence.
“Even in the face of childlessness, Christian couples are called to witness to the love and faithfulness of God,” Archbishop Ugorji added.
Reaffirming their commitment to defend the sanctity of life at all stages, the bishops reminded the faithful that true healing and hope cannot be found in practices that compromise human dignity, but only in God.
