The Federal Government has refuted claims in a newspaper report that the Samoa partnership agreement signed on June 28 endorses the rights of LGBTQ people in Nigeria.
At a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, Minister of Budget and Planning Atiku Bagudu dismissed the report, which also alleged that Nigeria would receive $150 billion for signing the deal. Bagudu, along with Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, addressed the claims made by the Daily Trust Newspaper.
The report suggested that the Federal Government had signed an agreement with clauses requiring Nigeria to endorse LGBTQI rights and that the country would receive $150 billion in return. This report has led to significant social, religious, and cultural tensions, becoming a focal point in many religious sermons.
Bagudu clarified that the Samoa agreement, signed at the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, focuses on cooperation between the European Union and OACPS member states. The agreement covers areas such as sustainable economic growth, environmental protection, and human rights, but makes no reference to LGBTQ rights or any monetary compensation.
“There is no truth to the claims. Nowhere in the document is $150 billion mentioned, nor are there any references to LGBTQ rights,” Bagudu stated. He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu would never sign an agreement that contradicts Nigerian laws and values.
The Samoa agreement aims to foster cooperation between the EU’s 27 member states and the 79 nations of the OACPS, focusing on economic development, security, environmental issues, and climate change. Bagudu stressed that any provision inconsistent with Nigerian law would be null and void.
“We assure Nigerians that President Tinubu’s administration will not enter into any international agreement detrimental to the country’s interests,” Bagudu said, highlighting Nigeria’s longstanding laws against same-sex marriage.
He urged the media to report truthfully and patriotically, noting the importance of maintaining national interest and not deterring international investors. “Nigerians should know the truth. We should support the hardworking citizens securing foreign investments and cooperation,” he concluded.
