Why The Nigeria/Samoa $150 billion Deal Should Be Reviewed

The news of Nigeria’s ratification of the Samoan agreement emerged on Monday, July 1, when Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, confirmed the development at a European Union (EU) reception in Abuja.

Since then, the federal government’s decision to sign the $150 billion Samoa Deal, has been met with controversies over claims of alleged LGBTQ clause and other uninspiring conditions. According to reports, it was alleged the agreement reportedly include clauses that require underdeveloped and developing nations to support LGBTQ rights, as a condition for receiving financial and other forms of support from advanced countries.

This is as Bagudu’s media assistant, Bolaji Adebiyi, clarified on Wednesday July 3, that the documents referenced by the Minister during the EU reception, pertained strictly to economic development and did not mention LGBTQ or same-sex marriage. Adebiyi insisted that Bagudu signed an agreement related to a $150 billion trade component, not LGBT issues.

Despite resistance from numerous nations that respect Islamic and Christian cultural norms and values, the accord seems to be gaining more grounds. It is named after the Pacific Island Samoa, where it was signed on November 15, 2023. Clerics, rights activists, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, are expressing outrage over the controversial deal.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols, and Agreements, Rabiu Yusuf said that the Samoa Agreement had not been brought before the National Assembly for consideration.

This is why BlossomNigeria calls for a review of the agreement, if there is no unified front. It is still laden with diverse perspectives in the explanation of what the agreement stands for, and how it will benefit the country. It is therefore not too late to take it up objectively and see to it that the conditions are beneficial and if they are not, the Government can set up a Review Team for better analysis and unity of purpose.

It will be recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan in January 2014, signed into law a bill that criminalises same-sex relationships, defying Western pressure over gay rights and provoking United States criticism. The law contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex ‘amorous relationships’ and membership of gay rights groups.