94 Understanding Surrogacy in Indigenous Esan Culture Justina O. Ehiakhamen Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria tinaehiakhamen@aauekpoma.edu.ng ; Sunday Omonkhafe Oyemhonlan PG Student, Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria sunnyoyes40@gmail.com ABSTRACT The paper critically examines the nature and contents of the practice of surrogacy in indigenous or traditional Esan culture which takes the forms of okhuo-re-okhuo (woman-woman marriage), awekhue (an impotent man) marriage and arebhoa (daughter at home) marriage, as measures put in place to resolve issues of childlessness among couples. Procreation in marriage occupies an integral place in the lives of the people; hence, infertility is perceived as a major problem leading to social stigmatization and is highly intolerable. The Esan people thus prescribe these measures to resolve such a problem The essay examines the philosophical issues that may arise from these measures such as the moral issues associated with them The method adopted in this study is descriptive and analytic; we describe and analyze these forms of surrogacy in Esan thought and also expose and critically analyse how they are slightly different from the Western forms of surrogacy in relation to advanced science and technology as well as the moral issues inherent in them. KEYWORDS: Surrogacy, woman-woman marriage, “awekhue,, marriage, Arebhoa” INTRODUCTION Procreation is relevant to the marriage institutions, where marriage is an institution of social order by which a married couple wish to beget a child. But for an infertile couple, this desire remains unfulfilled. In the society, infertility is seen as a problem which should be treated, thus