ON THE CONCEPT OF ABÁNIBÍMỌ

Abstract

While writers acknowledge the universality of the problem of infertility, and the desire of infertile couples to search for conceivable and inconceivable means of resolving the problem, erstwhile, it was believed, especially by writers of African descent, that surrogacy is an aberration of the African norm of reproduction. That surrogacy is a strange and unconceivable idea/ practice in Africa realm of procreation. This paper exposes that Yorùbá society recognises Abánibímọ, Yoruba practice of surrogacy, as an alternate procreative method. Abánibímọ is informed by family exigencies in Yoruba culture as a way of resolving the problem of infertility. The paper is significant because of its provision of a written and critical perspective of the Yorùbá idea of surrogacy and motherhood. The tools of conceptual analysis, critical analysis and reconstruction are adopted in the paper.