LGBTQ Clause in Samoa Agreement Doesn’t Apply to Nigeria – Mohammed Idris

The Nigerian federal government has made it clear that the LGBTQ clause in the Samoa Agreement does not apply to Nigeria.

The country has publicly stated that any part of the agreement that conflicts with its laws will not be valid.

“President Bola Tinubu’s administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that harms the country’s interests.

Our officials followed the 2018 mandates between the EU and the OACPS during the negotiations,” Idris assured.

“Nigeria’s endorsement came with a Statement of Declaration on June 26, 2024, clarifying that any part of the Agreement that conflicts with Nigerian laws is invalid.

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It is important to note that Nigeria has a law against LGBTQ, enacted in 2014,” said Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, in a statement on Thursday.

Idris said the agreement was signed in the country’s best interest after careful reviews and discussions by the Interministerial Committee, led by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

“On June 28, 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. This partnership agreement is between the EU and its Member States, and the members of the OACPS,” he explained.

Negotiations on the agreement began in 2018, during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, and it was signed in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU Member States and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member States.

“The Samoa Agreement is a key legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union. It aims to promote sustainable development, fight climate change, create investment opportunities, and encourage cooperation among OACPS Member States globally,” Idris said.

The agreement includes 103 articles and three regional protocols: Africa-EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU, each addressing specific regional issues.

The African Regional Protocol has two parts: the Framework for Cooperation and Areas of Cooperation. These areas include economic growth, human and social development, environmental management, peace and security, human rights, and migration.

Nigeria signed the Agreement on June 28, 2024, after thorough reviews and consultations by the Interministerial Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

They ensured that none of the 103 articles and provisions of the Agreement conflicted with the Nigerian Constitution or laws.