Nigeria expands affordable IVF services in Benue and Edo states

Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi has launched a full in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF) programme priced at about N700,000, a fraction of the N4‑5 million cost in Abuja and other major cities. The centre, led by Medical Director Dr Stephen Hwande, offers complete fertility services including surrogacy, sperm, embryo and egg banking, and sex selection. The initiative follows more than N20 billion of upgrades under Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, positioning BSUTH as one of the few state‑owned teaching hospitals in Nigeria with comprehensive assisted‑reproductive care.

In Edo State, the Edo Specialist Hospital in Benin City has also opened an IVF centre equipped with modern technology, a project supported by Governor Monday Okpebholo and overseen by Chief Medical Director Dr Anthonian Inibokun Njoku. The new facility aims to serve thousands of couples facing infertility, providing a local alternative to costly treatment elsewhere. Both programmes reflect a broader push by state governments to broaden affordable healthcare services and reduce the need for patients to travel for fertility treatment.