Fertility specialists are raising alarm over the rising cases of infertility among young Nigerian couples, linking it to lifestyle habits, delayed marriage, and untreated infections.
Unlike in the past when infertility mostly affected older couples, men and women in their 20s and 30s are now struggling to conceive — a growing concern backed by new World Health Organisation (WHO) data showing that 1 in 6 adults worldwide experience infertility.
According to Prof. Preye Fiebai, former president of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH), low sperm count, ovulatory disorders, untreated sexually transmitted infections, obesity, and hormonal imbalances are major culprits. He added that late marriages and career-driven delays in childbearing are making conception harder for many women.
“We are seeing a very high prevalence of male-factor infertility,” Fiebai said. “Some men have normal ejaculation but no sperm cells — a condition called azoospermia. For women, infections, unsafe abortions, and obesity are major contributors.”
Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, emphasized the need for early fertility assessment and proper medical evaluation. He advised that both partners undergo essential tests — semen analysis, pelvic scan, HSG (fallopian tube check), and hormonal blood tests — before assuming “nothing is wrong.”
Experts urged couples to maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, avoid self-medication, and seek professional medical help when conception delays beyond one year.
“Lifestyle modification and timely medical care can make all the difference,” they stressed.
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