Surrogacy in Nigeria: Media narratives, cultural tensions, and ethical complexities in Punch Newspaper—A content analysis

Context Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) have gained increasing prominence in Nigeria, where public understanding is largely mediated through news discourse in the absence of comprehensive legal and policy frameworks. Media narratives thus offer critical insight into evolving societal perceptions of surrogacy and infertility treatment. Methods This study critically examines surrogacy practices and experiences in Nigeria through media representations in Punch , a leading national newspaper. Using inductive qualitative content analysis without a defined timeframe, it explores how surrogacy is framed through gender, class, morality, and reproductive labour. Guided by framing theory and stratified reproduction, articles were coded for dominant frames and emergent themes. Results Seven key themes were identified: (1) Surrogacy as a Solution to Infertility, (2) Types and Processes of Surrogacy, (3) Role of Surrogacy Agencies in Navigating Infertility Treatment, (4) Legal and Regulatory Gaps, (5) Emotional and Psychological Challenges, (6) Financial and Ethical Concerns, and (7) Cultural and Social Context. Media representations situated surrogacy at the intersection of pronatalist expectations, kinship obligations, religious beliefs, and legal ambiguity. Coverage reflected both celebration and moral unease, simultaneously reinforcing stigma and offering pathways for acceptance. Conclusions Findings reveal that Nigerian media mirror and mediate social inequalities in reproductive access and legitimacy, illustrating how reproductive labour is differentially valued across gendered and class hierarchies. By contextualizing ARTs within local cultural meanings and regulatory voids, this study contributes to critical debates on reproductive justice, bioethics, and the globalization of fertility care in the Global South.