Nigeria Signs $150 Billion Samoa Deal That Could Legalize LGBT Rights

Many clerics, rights activists, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria are upset with the federal government’s decision to sign the Samoa Agreement.

This international agreement requires underdeveloped and developing countries to support the LGBT community’s fight for recognition in exchange for financial help from richer countries. This decision has caused a lot of debate.

What is the Samoa Agreement?

The Samoa Agreement, signed on November 15, 2023, on the Pacific Island of Samoa, has been gaining attention. However, it faces strong opposition from many countries that hold Islamic and Christian values and have cultures sensitive to such issues.

Nigeria’s Role and Reactions

Nigeria’s involvement in the agreement was revealed on July 1 when the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, confirmed it at a European Union (EU) event in Abuja.

Bagudu’s media assistant, Bolaji Adebiyi, clarified that the signed documents were focused only on Nigeria’s economic development and did not mention LGBT issues or same-sex marriage.

Adebiyi stated, “Nowhere in the documents were LGBT or same-sex marriage mentioned even remotely,” and insisted that Nigeria had not accepted these tendencies. He emphasized that what Bagudu signed related strictly to a $150 billion trade component.

Despite these clarifications, many Nigerian groups are still worried. Sonnie Ekwowusi, a well-known lawyer and Chairman of the Human and Constitutional Rights Committee at the African Bar Association (AfBA), voiced strong concerns.

In an article, Ekwowusi criticized Nigerian officials for signing the agreement despite many warnings and meetings advising against it.

Ekwowusi argued, “Certain Articles of the Agreement, especially Articles 2.5 and 29.5, legalize LGBT, transgenderism, abortion, teen sexual abuse, and other issues in African countries. The signing of the Agreement by Nigeria threatens the sovereignty of Nigeria and Africa. It also undermines our democracy.”

He questioned whether Nigerian officials fully understood the agreement’s impact on Nigeria’s sovereignty and potential harm.

Ekwowusi also pointed out that 34 other African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries, including Senegal, Uganda, Namibia, and Trinidad and Tobago, refused to sign the agreement.