Current Cost of IVF in Nigeria Today (November, 2024)
Whenever a couple is looking for a solution to their fertility problem, one of the things that come to the mind is In vitro fertilization (IVF). It is not a thing of surprise that most assisted reproductive treatments in Nigeria can cost up to millions of naira. Nowadays, one can go as far as breaking the bank just to solve childbearing related issues. It is important to follow an economical roué whenever you are trying to choose an IVF centre, but it can have side effects on the long run. The more expensive a fertility centre is, the better they are.
In this article, we would be taking a broad review on the cost of IVF in Nigeria, the cost elements and so on and so forth. But before we delve into this article proper, please take note that the price of IVF treatments differs in different parts of the world. This article is solely overviewing how much it would cost for IVF in Nigeria.
What is the present cost of IVF in Nigeria?
On an average scale, the cost of a single cycle of IVF treatment in Nigeria is N1,000,000. This figure is exclusive of the cost of diagnosis, drugs and other ancillary services that might be needed. For IVF drugs, you should make a budget of at least N350,000 to N850,000. This figure solely depends on the treatment plan.
Factors affecting the cost of IVF in Nigeria
There are so many underlying factors that affect the cost of IVF treatment in Nigeria. We are going to be reviewing some of these factors below.
Age
The number one determining factor is age. If you are younger, then you have a much greater percentage of getting pregnant. The younger you are, the greater your chance of having a very healthy baby with your own eggs during IVF.
In light of the cost factor, if you are much older, you would spend more. The reason for this is that the use of donor eggs or sperm adds more to the cost on the scale of 50%. These expenses can also be justified with the fact that the donor has to go through certain treatments to extract the eggs.
The number of cycles
An IVF cycle usually starts from the day of your period to the day the embryo is transferred. One cycle of IVF treatment in Nigeria can have a cost range of N700, 000 to N1300, 000. For a successful IVF treatment that would lead to conceiving, the couple needs a minimum of 2 to 3 cycles. Research has shown that having more than one cycle of IVF treatment can increase the likelihood of conceiving.
The more the number of cycles, the more that cost would increase. Some clinics, offer discounts if multiple cycles were undertaken. In light of this, couples are required to pay a heavy sum of money for 2 to 3 cycles in advance. This is to cover any possibility of having to undergo extended cycles. In a situation where the couple does not need an extra IVF cycle, they would be refunded.
Diagnostic tests
IVF centres run diagnostic tests so as to find out the reason for infertility. This would require the couple to spend money before the treatments would commence. Examples of some of these tests include; semen analysis, Infectious disease screening, gynaecological endoscopy, and ovarian reserve testing.
Other Procedures
Well, this depends on the test results of the previous diagnostic tests that were undertaken. This usually brings another additional cost. Some of these additional procedures include ICSI, Assisted Hatching, Haparoscopy, PGD, Testicular sperm extraction,
What is the cost of legal fees?
For an IVF treatment, a legal is required in the case of surrogacy. This is paid before the IVF treatment commences. The figure this fee is around N150,000. This cost is just for persons that want to follow the surrogacy route for the IVF treatment.
Cost of IVF Drugs
Another cost factor in IVF treatments is the drugs and supplements that are administered. This can cost up to N200,000 or even more. There are also some prescription drugs and supplements that can cost up to N500,000. In the situation of surrogacy, the drugs given to both the surrogate and the donor can cost up to N1,200,000.
Additional information
For those of us going through this article and see large sums of money, don’t worry! If you consider most fertility centres to be quite expensive, then there is another option. The option here is to use University Teaching Hospitals. Teaching Hospitals are very much cheaper than other IVF treatment centres in Nigeria. In a teaching hospital, you are bound to spend non less than N400,000 to N600,000 naira in cost. This is usually half the heavy sum you are bound to spend in a private Fertility centre.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors that determine the cost of IVF treatments in Nigeria. So as an intending parent, you are required to do a cost breakdown from the clinic before going forward.
Although, the cost shouldn’t be the most defining factor when selecting a clinic, as this can have bad effects in the long run. The primary goal of an IVF treatment is to have a baby. So on this note, you should be sure that fertility has the best standards and practices.
