In this briefing note, the Human Dignity Trust sets out the implications of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 (SSMPA), assented by the President of Nigeria in January 2014, for LGBT people.
The Trust points out that unmarried same-sex couples face criminalisation under the new law. Anything amounting to mere indirect public demonstration of a ‘same sex amorous relationship’ is now criminalised.
The Trust denounces the chilling effect on civil society supporting LGBT rights, including those providing healthcare services against HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
Finally, the Trust records the reactions of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNAIDS to the new criminalising law.