Samoa Agreement: No EU strings attached for Nigeria on LGBTIQ+ rights
On 15 November 2023, the EU and 77 African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations signed the Samoa Agreement, a global partnership offering €150 billion in investments for transport, energy, and education in Africa.
The agreement includes a line about not discriminating against anyone based on their sexual orientation. Some voices in Nigeria raised apprehensions about whether it might conflict with the 2014 Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, which bans same-sex relationships, marriage ceremonies, and related advocacy, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
Truth vs. tale
The Nigerian government decided the Samoa Agreement does not contravene or break any national laws. However, after Nigeria signed it on 28 June 2024, some Nigerian media outlets wrongly claimed that EU funding in Nigeria would depend on the country’s support for same-sex relationships, in breach of the country’s laws that ban them. In reality, EU documents do not mention special funding for Nigeria or include any conditions tied to LGBTIQ+ rights.
Groups linked to the Kremlin frequently use identity-based issues like LGBTIQ+ rights to sow division in societies and weaken trust in democratic institutions. These stories may serve foreign interests, but they also harm vulnerable communities by silencing and isolating them. In Nigeria, already-stigmatised LGBTIQ+ people had to endure a surge in hostility, fuelled by misinformation surrounding the Samoa Agreement.
Russian disinformation efforts in the country frequently align with prevailing religious and cultural opposition to LGBTIQ+ rights, positioning Russia as a moral ally against what pro-Russian propagandists call ‘Europe’s Trojan horse of LGBTIQ+ rights’.
Diversion tactics at play
Certain African voices portray homosexuality as a Western idea and import, using this narrative to consolidate political or social support. Exploiting prejudices against LGBTIQ+ persons also deflects attention from issues such as corruption and economic hardship. They often present LGBTIQ+ rights as foreign cultural imperialism threatening African traditions. Sadly, some voices have wrongly blamed LGBTIQ+ people for diseases like HIV, MPOX, or COVID-19. These kinds of claims create fear and push people apart, when what’s really needed is support and unity.
But history tells a different story. Before colonialism, many African societies had diverse understandings of gender and sexuality. Some cultures even accepted same-sex relationships and recognised non-binary identities. In fact, it was often the former European colonial powers that introduced homophobic laws and cultural attitudes, many of which persist today.
The EU has sought to make amends for these historical injustices. However, efforts to tackle discrimination are impossible without the participation of Africans and their governments. The real strength lies in how African communities, young people, and its leaders choose to talk about attitudes towards LGBTIQ+ persons – in their own words, on their own terms, and with the truth in hand.
