QUEER DISCRIMINATION AND THE POLITICS OF BEING QUEER IN NIGERIA

• Colonial History of Anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Nigeria

Prior to Nigeria’s colonization there is nothing to show violence was perpetuated against LGBTQ+ individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, nor did any anti-LGBTQ+ laws exist. So how did Nigeria become one of the most unsafe places for LGBTQ+ persons to exist?

Colonization and the spread of Christian doctrines from the British meant that a large part of Nigeria lost their previous cultural attitude towards sexual orientation and gender identity and were forced to adopt “new” values from British colonists. Homophobia was legally enforced by colonial administrators and Christian missionaries. As a result anti-LGBT ideas were not only written into our laws, but also into the minds of our people through religion.

Even after gaining independence the Nigerian Legal System remains largely based on the English Common Law and legal tradition by virtue of colonization, as a matter of fact one of the main sources of laws in Nigeria is the Received English law (common law, equitable doctrines and statutes of general application that were in force in England on 1 January 1900). This means that the legal system of this Country continues to operate old English Statutes, (some of these statutes have either been repealed in England…