{"id":24811,"date":"2025-10-01T16:39:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T15:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=24811"},"modified":"2025-10-20T16:45:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T15:45:02","slug":"after-dubawas-investigation-facebook-removes-nigerian-surrogacy-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/after-dubawas-investigation-facebook-removes-nigerian-surrogacy-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"After DUBAWA\u2019s investigation, Facebook removes Nigerian surrogacy groups\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Facebook has clamped down on surrogacy groups in Nigeria, following DUBAWA\u2019s investigation<\/a> on how Facebook, misinformation, and legal loopholes throw Nigerian women into the surrogacy ditch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, published on Sept. 27, 2025, projects the experience of surrogates in Nigeria who are at the receiving end of exploitative practices and severe health implications. It exposes human rights violations, particularly how surrogate agents lure women into surrogacy by weaponising misinformation, utilising Facebook for advertising, and leveraging legal loopholes to implement the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International groups and Nigerians reacted to the report<\/a>, criticising the existence of surrogacy groups on Facebook and calling for a ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is such an eye opener,\u201d Purple Passion (@annie_chrissss<\/a>) said on X<\/a> after watching DUBAWA\u2019s documentary<\/a>. \u201cA Facebook page agency for Surrogate mothers is genuinely the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in recent times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the report, Facebook removed several surrogacy groups in Nigeria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meta removed the surrogacy groups that we had shared with them via email during the investigation: Surrogate Mothers Nigeria<\/a>, and Egg Donor and Surrogate Mother in Nigeria<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Facebook surrogacy groups Meta deleted when we emailed them the links. Photo source: Simbiat Bakare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The social networking platform also removed the groups we reported to them via the Facebook app: Egg Donation and Surrogacy (For Expectant Mothers) IVF, and Surrogates and Egg donors group<\/a>. Initially, Facebook said the groups didn\u2019t violate their community standards. They would later reverse their decisions and delete the groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Facebook reverses its decision on surrogacy groups in Nigeria, deletes them. Photo source: Simbiat Bakare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After reviewing their decisions, Facebook deleted more groups we reported to them via its app: IVF & Surrogacy Support Groups Nigeria, Nigeria Surrogates and Intended Parents, Surrogate\/Egg and Sperm Donors, and  Surrogate Mothers Support and Advocacy Group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Facebook promptly deletes four surrogacy groups in Nigeria between 09:15 and 16:08 on Sept. 25, 2025. Photo source: Simbiat Bakare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also, Facebook removed the international surrogacy platform, Surrogate Mothers Agency, which we reported. The group had over 12,000 members and facilitated surrogacy worldwide, including for Nigerians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
After DUBAWA\u2019s report, Facebook removed an international surrogacy platform when it was reported. Photo source: Simbiat Bakare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cumulatively, DUBAWA identified nine groups that had been deleted with over 38,000 global members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A collage of all the groups Facebook deleted upon DUBAWA\u2019s investigation. Photo source: Simbiat Bakare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following the removal of the groups, Facebook also tightened enforcement of its community rules, as it is becoming more difficult for surrogate groups to post on the platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temitope Afolabi, a former surrogate, told DUBAWA that surrogate agents now have difficulty posting surrogacy-related adverts on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of the surrogate groups have been brought down, and whenever they want to post, they always have an issue,\u201d Temitope said, \u201cThey say Facebook don\u2019t allow them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agents managing surrogacy support groups on the platform are now forced to self-regulate against publishing financial advertisements. One surrogacy support group published a disclaimer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo follow Facebook’s surrogacy strict policies, we do not post payment plans, pricing, or financial discussions inside this group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A disclaimer posted by an admin of a surrogacy group in Nigeria after Facebook\u2019s clampdown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before DUBAWA\u2019s investigation, there were countless Facebook surrogacy communities in Nigeria, with several groups created to facilitate surrogacy. Indiscriminate advertisements of surrogacy flood the groups, with different payment plans ranging from N2 million to N5 million advertised daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We emailed Meta via email for comments following the removal of the groups; however, they failed to respond. We further contacted Meta\u2019s head of communications, Oluwasola Obagbemi, on WhatsApp for comments, but she responded that she was \u201con leave and out of the office.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Meta had initially informed us in an email correspondence,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAds and Groups that exploit people through the sale or illegal adoption of children violate our policies, and we remove this content when it\u2019s found – as we have done in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Facebook has clamped down on surrogacy groups in Nigeria, following DUBAWA\u2019s investigation on how Facebook, misinformation, and legal loopholes throw Nigerian women into the surrogacy ditch. The report, published on Sept. 27, 2025, projects the experience of surrogates in Nigeria who are at the receiving end of exploitative practices and severe health implications. It exposes human rights violations, particularly how surrogate agents lure women into surrogacy by weaponising misinformation, utilising Facebook for advertising, and leveraging legal loopholes to implement the practice. International groups and Nigerians reacted to the report, criticising the existence of surrogacy groups on Facebook and calling for a ban. \u201cThis is such an eye opener,\u201d Purple Passion (@annie_chrissss) said on X after watching DUBAWA\u2019s documentary. \u201cA Facebook page agency for Surrogate mothers is genuinely the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in recent times.\u201d Following the report, Facebook removed several surrogacy groups in Nigeria.  Meta removed the surrogacy groups that we had shared with them via email during the investigation: Surrogate Mothers Nigeria, and Egg Donor and Surrogate Mother in Nigeria. The social networking platform also removed the groups we reported to them via the Facebook app: Egg Donation and Surrogacy (For Expectant Mothers) IVF, and Surrogates and Egg donors group. Initially, Facebook said the groups didn\u2019t violate their community standards. They would later reverse their decisions and delete the groups. After reviewing their decisions, Facebook deleted more groups we reported to them via its app: IVF & Surrogacy Support Groups Nigeria, Nigeria Surrogates and Intended Parents, Surrogate\/Egg and Sperm Donors, and  Surrogate Mothers Support and Advocacy Group.  Also, Facebook removed the international surrogacy platform, Surrogate Mothers Agency, which we reported. The group had over 12,000 members and facilitated surrogacy worldwide, including for Nigerians. Cumulatively, DUBAWA identified nine groups that had been deleted with over 38,000 global members. Following the removal of the groups, Facebook also tightened enforcement of its community rules, as it is becoming more difficult for surrogate groups to post on the platform.  Temitope Afolabi, a former surrogate, told DUBAWA that surrogate agents now have difficulty posting surrogacy-related adverts on the platform. \u201cMany of the surrogate groups have been brought down, and whenever they want to post, they always have an issue,\u201d Temitope said, \u201cThey say Facebook don\u2019t allow them.\u201d Agents managing surrogacy support groups on the platform are now forced to self-regulate against publishing financial advertisements. One surrogacy support group published a disclaimer: \u201cTo follow Facebook’s surrogacy strict policies, we do not post payment plans, pricing, or financial discussions inside this group.\u201d Before DUBAWA\u2019s investigation, there were countless Facebook surrogacy communities in Nigeria, with several groups created to facilitate surrogacy. Indiscriminate advertisements of surrogacy flood the groups, with different payment plans ranging from N2 million to N5 million advertised daily.  We emailed Meta via email for comments following the removal of the groups; however, they failed to respond. We further contacted Meta\u2019s head of communications, Oluwasola Obagbemi, on WhatsApp for comments, but she responded that she was \u201con leave and out of the office.\u201d  However, Meta had initially informed us in an email correspondence, \u201cAds and Groups that exploit people through the sale or illegal adoption of children violate our policies, and we remove this content when it\u2019s found – as we have done in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":24819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1688,437,1571,3812,3815],"tags":[282,115,4512,4505],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[3688],"class_list":["post-24811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-facebook-checks","category-fact-check","category-headline","category-homepage","tag-facebook","tag-fact-check","tag-impact","tag-surrogacy"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-6sb","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":3688,"user_id":131,"is_guest":0,"slug":"simbiat","display_name":"Simbiat Bakare","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bb274e26ec2438c1ffa80c743780ac9034a44b76786647c5d47675222fdb1c63?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"Bakare","first_name":"Simbiat","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Facebook-image.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24811"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24821,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24811\/revisions\/24821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24811"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=24811"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=24811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}