LGBTQ rights in Nigeria

Common card · No. 337130

People in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community in Nigeria face severe challenges. Both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria and punishable by death in the northern portion of the country and up to 14 years of imprisonment in the southern portion of the country. There are no legal protections for LGBTQ people in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 230 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south. Very few LGBTQ people are open about their sexuality, as violence against them is frequent. According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities generally target the LGBTQ community. Many LGBTQ Nigerians seek asylum in countries with progressive laws. Attempted same-sex marriages have also been criminalised within Nigeria since 2013, enacted via the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013. The maximum punishment in 12 northern states with Shari'a law is death by stoning. The law applies to...

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