FG Admits To Signing Samoa Agreement, Says It’s In Nigeria’s Interest

The federal government has admitted to signing the Samoa Agreement, stating it was in Nigeria’s best interest after media reports indicated that it contained LGBTQ clauses.

This was disclosed on Thursday night by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, while clarifying that the government’s stance on same-sex marriage supersedes the contentious Samoa agreement.

The Samoa Agreement is an agreement with the European Union, its member states, and member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with key focuses on human rights, democracy and governance, peace and security, human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility.

Idris noted that the Samoa Agreement was signed on June 28, 2024, at the OACPS secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.

According to him, the agreement has 103 articles comprising a common foundational compact and three regional protocols, namely, Africa –EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU Regional Protocols, with each regional protocol addressing the peculiar issues of the regions.

The African Regional Protocol consists of two parts. The first is the Framework for Cooperation, while the second deals with Areas of Cooperation, containing 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,” Idris said.

He further stated that this agreement was signed after extensive reviews and consultations by the Interministerial Committee, convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ).

“It was ensured that none of the 103 articles and provisions of the agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or laws of Nigeria, and other extant Laws,” he added.

Addressing the public criticism towards same-sex marriage, he said it is instructive to note that there is an existing legislation against same-sex relationships in Nigeria enacted in 2014.

“The Samoa Agreement is nothing but a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union, to promote sustainable development, fight climate change and its effects, generate investment opportunities, and foster collaboration among OACPS member states at the international stage,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, findings revealed that the Samoa Agreement is a 20-year partnership to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, and the Paris Agreement serves as the overarching framework guiding the arrangement.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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Mayowa Durosinmi is a Nigerian investigative reporter for West Africa Weekly with reports focusing on politics, human rights, security and health in West Africa and the Sahel region.

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