Samoa Agreement: No LGBTQ condition or $150bn deal for Nigeria, BBC find

Di Samoa Agreement wey Nigeria recently sign no require di kontri to recognise LGBTQ or same sex unions - di agreement no also provide $150 billion component for di kontri, BBC finding show.

One copy of di 172-page Samoa Agreement wey we retrieve from di European Commission website no include any clause wey support same sex relationships, unless di kontri bin sign anoda version, wey be say we no find di evidence.

However, one section of di document highlight di commitment to address discrimination and violence based on various grounds, including sexual orientation wey all parties including African, Caribbean and Pacific nations dey expected to address.

Article 11 under di Inclusive and Pluralistic Societies state: “Dem (OACPs) gatz take effective measures to identify and address discrimination and violence based on any ground, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or oda opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation.”

Since di signing of di agreement dey announced, report comot say e include $150 billion dollar deal between Nigeria and di European Union. But Nigeria budget and economic planning ministry tell di BBC say na lie - di ministry of information also tok di same tin for one statement wey dem issue on Thursday.

For one chat wit di BBC, di Special Assistant on Media to di Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Bolaji Adebiyi tok say di information na lie and misrepresentation of facts.

“$150 billion deal no dey. Dat na false information wey come from one national daily. Wetin dey signed na di Samoa agreement and di ministry don make statement on di framework wey dey signed.” Adebiyi tok.

BBC review of one draft of di Samoa agreement wey we retrieve from di EU also show no evidence of such financial commitments.

Di European Union reply BBC query to if Nigeria dey expected to respect di LGBTQ right, dem tok say di Samoa agreement dey in line wit di Universal Declaration on Human Rights wey no allow discrimination.

"Di provisions of di Samoa Agreement dey aligned wit di Universal Declaration on Human Rights, including Art. 2 for non-discrimination. Di provisions for non-discrimination dey commit to di framework wey dey exist bifor as di signatories don endorse di Agreement."

According to EU, di Samoa Agreement between member states and OACPS go serve as framework for di next twenty years and di EUR 150 billion na for Africa.

"Di Samoa Agreement no include dedicated fund. Di EU go provide financial support, wia e dey relevant, using di instruments of spending. Di cooperation wit African, Caribbean and Pacific states go dey financed under di EU budget.

According to EU reply to di BBC, dem add say "di EUR 150 billion figure you refer to na di amount wey dey dedicated to Africa under di Global Gateway wey be di EU strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links for di digital, transport, energy and climate-relevant sectors, and strengthens education, research and health networks."

Di EU tok say Nigeria na very key kontri of importance for di EU partnership wit 'Africa sake of population, economic weight and political influence.'

"Di EU and Member States na Nigeria largest trading partner and we get longstanding relationship for several sectors. Nigeria and di EU dey committed to increase dis partnership, including for di area of trade and investment and green economic growth," EU tok.

Wetin be di Samoa Agreement?

For November 2023, di European Union, dia 27 member states and 49 out of di 79 member states of di Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) bin sign one agreement for Apia, di capital city of di Island kontri of Samoa.

Under di ‘Samoa agreement’, all parties dey required to prioritise and address issues wey dey happun for dia regions including: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Development; Human and Social Development; Environment, Natural Resources Management, and Climate Change; Peace and Security; Human Rights, Democracy and Governance; and Migration and Mobility.

Nigeria bin sign di agreement last Friday but Atiku Bagudu wey be di kontri Minister of Budget and Economic Planning make am public dis week.

E dey expected to deliver monetary values in terms of support and interventions from di EU parties to di OACP states. However di agreement no explicitly quote any monetary intervention.

Wetin be di controversy?

For Nigeria media space, reactions dey follow di signing of di Samoa Agreement as many dey allege say di EU agreement to release $150 billion to Nigeria come wit di condition say di kontri gatz support same sex relationships, despite say Nigeria don criminalise same sex marriages.

Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu Senior Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun tok for one tweet on im official X handle say, "Di documents wey di federal goment sign, dey strictly for economic development of Nigeria, nowia for di documents wey LGBT or same sex marriage bin dey mentioned even remotely, and e go dey wrong for anyone to imply say Nigeria don accept dose tendencies. Wetin Bagudu sign dey in relation to $150 billion trade component". A quote e credit to di Media Assistant to the Minister of Budget, Bolaji Adebiyi, wey don describe am as lie.

Nigeria information ministry for one statement, say none of di 103 Articles for di agreement contravene di kontri laws.

“Nigeria endorsement dey accompanied by one Statement of Declaration, dated 26th June 2024, wey clarify im understanding and context of di Agreement within im jurisdiction to di effect say any provision wey no dey consistent wit di laws of Nigeria gatz dey invalid. E dey instructive to note say existing legislation dey against same sex relationships for Nigeria wey dey enacted for 2014,” di statement read in part.