LGBT rights in Nigeria
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Nigeria face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. LGBT rights are generally infringed upon; both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria and punishable by up to 16 years of prison in the conventional court system. There is no legal protection for LGBT rights in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 225 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and a largely Christian south. Very few LGBT persons are open about their sexual orientation, as violence against them is frequent. According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities generally target the LGBT community. Many LGBT Nigerians are fleeing to countries with progressive law to seek protection.
LGBT rights in Nigeria | |
|---|---|
Nigeria | |
| Status | Illegal since 1904 (Northern Region only; as Northern Nigeria Protectorate): 34 Illegal since 1916 (Region-wide; as Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria): 34 |
| Penalty | Up to 16 years imprisonment Life imprisonment according to federal law States under Shari'a law: Death (Applies to persons who have consented to jurisdiction of Shari'a courts plus all Muslims) |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | No |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex unions |
| Restrictions | "The Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act" criminalises all forms of same-sex unions |
| Adoption | No |
Attempted same-sex marriages have also been criminalised within Nigeria since 2013. The maximum punishment in the 12 northern states that have adopted Shari'a law is death by stoning. That law applies to all Muslims and to those who have voluntarily consented to application of the Shari'a courts. In southern Nigeria and under the secular criminal laws of northern Nigeria, the maximum punishment for same-sex sexual activity is 16 years' imprisonment.
According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97% of Nigerian residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, which was the second-highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed. In 2015, a survey by an organisation founded by a Nigerian homosexual activist based in London claimed this percentage decreased to 94%. In this survey by Bisi Alimi, as of the same period the percentage of Nigerians who agree LGBT persons should receive education, healthcare, and housing is 30%. The level of disapproval declined slightly to 91% in another Pew Research Center poll in 2019.