The Federal Government through the Minister of Information has confirmed signing the Samoa agreement, clarifying that the country’s law on same-sex marriage takes precedence over the agreement.
It’s been alleged that the Samoa agreement, named after the Pacific Island where it was signed, includes clauses that require underdeveloped and developing nations to support the recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights in exchange for financial and other forms of support from advanced countries.
The agreement has sparked controversy, with clerics and human rights activists criticizing the government for its involvement.
In a statement released on Thursday night, July 4, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris addressed the concerns and provided further clarification regarding the agreement.
He said in a statement;
“On 28 June 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. The partnership agreement is between the EU and its Member States, on one hand, and the members of the OACPS on the other. Negotiations on the agreement started in 2018, on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. It was signed in Apia, Samoa on the 15th of November 2018 by all 27 EU Member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member states.”
