It's Twins for Nike Oshinowo

Former Miss Nigeria and Chief Executive of AOE Events & Entertainment Limited, Chief Adenike Oshinowo, is a proud mother of a set of twins.

The one-time beauty queen, now 47, became a first time mother two weeks ago, when she delivered a set of twins with the help of a surrogate gestational carrier in United States of America.

She has a long-term association with endometriosis - a disorder that occurs when the endometrium (cells lining the uterus) grows in other areas of the body, causing excruciating pain.

Medical experts identify endometriosis as a significant factor in unexplained female infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and other gynaecological problems.

Details of the twins were not revealed at press time, however, in a statement to Health & Living, on the development, the joyous new mother expressed happiness and gratitude to the Almighty, for making her a mother despite all odds.

"I am overwhelmed and humbled by the depth of my love for my children. God has been most gracious to me. I am beyond happy."

In gestational surrogacy, eggs from the intended mother are fertilised by sperms from the intended father, and the resulting embryos are implanted into the uterus of a gestational surrogate also known as the "birth mother".

The surrogate then carries the baby until birth. A gestational surrogate has no genetic ties to the child because it wasn't her egg that was used unlike a traditional surrogate who is the baby's biological mother because it is her egg that is fertilised.

In the US, gestational surrogacy is less complex legally because the intended parents have genetic ties to the baby. As a result, gestational surrogacy has become more common than a traditional surrogate. About 750 babies are born each year through gestational surrogacy.

A woman might use a surrogate for reasons ranging from medical problems with her uterus to conditions that make pregnancy impossible or medically risky, such as severe heart disease.

Other women choose surrogacy after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant with a variety of assisted-reproduction techniques, ART, such as IVF.