The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau SAN, has clarified that the controversial SAMOA Agreement does not include protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights as a condition for a $150 billion loan facility.
In a statement on Monday, Maikyau pointed out that the agreement does not require Nigeria to accept or recognize LGBTQ rights, and it respects local laws and the sovereignty of the contracting nations.
“The SAMOA Agreement recognizes Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2023, and upholds the supremacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” Maikyau stated.
He added, “Contrary to the narrative being propagated, either due to ignorance of the content of the agreement or a deliberate intention to mislead the public, there is no provision in the SAMOA Agreement that requires Nigeria to accept or recognize LGBTQ rights as a precondition for a $150 billion loan.”
Maikyau clarified that the agreement is expressly subject to the local laws and sovereignty of the contracting nations.
He assured that if the agreement compromised Nigeria’s sovereignty or existing legislation, the NBA would have advised against it.
“For avoidance of any doubt, the SAMOA Agreement does not, in any way, seek to compromise our existing legislations nor undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria,” he stated.
Maikyau called on stakeholders to educate the public on the agreement’s true content, cautioning against negative narratives spread along sensitive lines of faith, culture, and morality.
He further revealed that the NBA was consulted on the agreement prior to its signing and had set up a committee to vet and advise on it.
The SAMOA Agreement is a broad legal framework between European Union member states and over half of the 79 members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS).
It covers six main areas, including democracy and human rights, sustainable economic growth, climate change, human and social development, peace and security, and migration and mobility.
