African Bar Association Alerts Nigerian House Of Representatives To Alleged LGBT Provisions In Samoa Agreement
The African Bar Association has raised concerns over what it describes as deceptive LGBT provisions in the Samoa Agreement, recently signed by Nigeria. In a letter to House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, dated September 12, 2024, titled “Re: Identification, Analysis, and Implication of Deceptively Drafted LGBT Provision in The Samoa Agreement,” the association highlighted twelve provisions that allegedly promote LGBT agendas through embedded references to sexual orientation and gender identity.
The agreement, signed by Nigeria on June 28, 2024, has sparked public controversy due to its perceived conflict with Nigeria’s stance on LGBT rights. Despite Nigeria’s initial hesitation in endorsing the agreement, the government has denied the presence of LGBT-related content. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, stated, “Nowhere in the documents were LGBT or same-sex marriage mentioned even remotely… it would be wrong for anyone to imply that Nigeria had accepted those tendencies.”
Similarly, Nigeria Bar Association President Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau emphasized, “There is no provision in the SAMOA agreement that requires Nigeria to accept or recognize LGBTQ or gay rights… either as a precondition for a loan of $150 billion or at all.”
However, critics, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, expressed concerns that certain language in the agreement might indirectly endorse international LGBT rights, thereby clashing with Nigeria’s established cultural values and laws.
In response, the African Bar Association’s Family Law Committee conducted an in-depth analysis of the agreement. The committee’s findings concluded that “LGBT affirmative language is by content, context, and implication deceptively embedded in the provisions, programming, and implementation of the SAMOA Agreement.” The committee pointed to vague language surrounding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as potentially undermining Nigerian laws.
The association also warned that NGOs and agencies supporting LGBT initiatives could become grant recipients for the treaty’s implementation, which might lead to the gradual acceptance of these ideologies in Nigeria.
“There is a seriously overlooked problem… many of the grant recipients for implementing the treaty will be LGBT-supportive NGOs, businesses, and UN agencies that are… working to advance the LGBT agenda in Nigeria with EU funds,” the letter read.
While the report does not cover all potential issues, it highlights concerns about the treaty’s impact on national sovereignty, the requirement for joint positions in international forums, and its “supremacy clause.” The association concluded that its findings should provide the House of Representatives with enough material to determine whether the Samoa Agreement promotes LGBT provisions.
