Tag: Samoa

President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), on Tuesday said there was no provision in the SAMOA Agreement that required Nigeria to accept or recognise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Queen (LGBTQ) rights.

Maikyau noted that the narrative being propagated was either due to ignorance of the contents of the agreement, or a deliberate intention to mislead the public, “neither of which is good”.

In a statement signed by Maikyau in Lagos, by NBA National Publicity Secretary, Mr Habeeb Lawal, the NBA urged the public to at all times, query newspaper and social media post.

He noted that the NBA remained committed to ensuring that the actions of government are people-focused adding that the NBA will continue to engage and advise government to advance the cause of the nation.

“My attention was drawn to publications in newspapers and social media platforms, to reactions by some Nigerians, to the signing of the SAMOA agreement by the federal government.

“Contrary to the narrative being propagated either due to ignorance of the content of the agreement or a deliberate intention to mislead the public, I wish to state:

“That there is no provision in the SAMOA agreement which requires Nigeria to accept or in any way recognise LGBTQ or gay rights, either as a pre condition for a loan of $150 billion or at all.

Read Also: Samoa agreement: Tinubu govt won’t endorse sodomy -Fani-Kayode

“Instead, the agreement was expressly made subject to the local laws, and the sovereignty of the contracting nations.

“That is to say, the SAMOA recognises for instance, Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2023, and of course, the supremacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“If this were not the case, the NBA would have since advised the Federal Government not to enter or engage in any form of partnership or agreement that has the ability to undermine the sovereignty of our nation in any way

“For avoidance of any doubts, the SAMOA agreement does not in any way, seek to compromise our existing legislations, nor undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria.

“The negative narratives on this agreement are being pushed and propagated along very sensitive lines of our faith, culture and morality, thus, the need for caution and proper education,” he said .

Maikyau, therefore, called on government to continue with the public enlightenment already being undertaken.

He urged other stakeholders to join in doing so, in order to counter the negative perception being promoted on the agreement.

NAN reports that the  Samoa Agreement is a partnership agreement and a vital legal framework for cooperation between the EU and its member states, on the one hand, and members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, also known as OACPS.

The multilateral agreement is colloquially called the ‘Samoa Agreement’ because its signing took place on the Island of Samoa in Oceania during the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers.

The agreement, signed by Nigeria and other members of the OACPS, is based on six key priorities to tackle the main challenges in the member countries over the next two decades.

The Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, Obinna Onowu, signed the agreement on behalf of the Nigerian Government at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels on June 28, 2024.(NAN)

On 28 June 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.

Through the pact, Nigeria stands to benefit from the international markets and accruing revenue from trade across its borders.

The agreement also has a trade component of $150 billion.

Currently, 46 OACPS countries and 27 EU countries have signed it. For the agreement to be fully implemented, all 27 EU members must sign it.

The agreement’s provisions would provide Nigeria with capital grants, human and technical expertise, and development aid.

It also seeks to foster education, health, and infrastructural bilateral relations.

The agreement signing, according to the federal government, was done 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), confirmed that none of the 103 Articles and Provisions of the Agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or laws of Nigeria.

The partnership agreement is between the EU and its Member States, on one hand, and the members of the OACPS on the other.

Negotiations on the agreement started in 2018, on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. It was signed in Apia, Samoa on the 15th of November 2018 by all 27 EU Member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member states.

The Samoa Agreement encapsulates the legal background for how 15 states in the EU and 79 states in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific would relate across intercontinental territories.

Read Also: Why we signed Samoa Agreement, by Fed Govt

The origin of the agreement began in I959 with the Yaounde Agreements, which was continuously modified into its most recent Cotonou Agreement. However, the provisions of the Cotonou Agreement became obsolete and thus inconsequential in 2020, 20 years after it was first created.

The Samoa Agreement is 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 the OACPS Member States on the international stage. 

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.

The new Partnership Agreement lays down common principles and covers the following priority areas:

– Human rights, democracy and governance peace and security

– Human and social development

– Inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development

– Environmental sustainability and climate change

– Migration and mobility

The agreement includes a common foundation, which applies to all Parties, combined with three regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific with a focus on the specific needs of each region. Its provisional application will start on the 1st of January 2024.

The Agreement enters into force upon consent by the European Parliament and ratification by the Parties, i.e. all EU Member States and at least two-thirds of the OACPS Members.

The agreement highlights the aims and objectives within a legal framework the multilateral partnership hopes to achieve. They include:

To foster good governance and establish democratic institutions that would safeguard human rights.

To establish peace and sustain security within the territories of its member states.

Facilitating partnerships on education, health, gender, and human rights.

Fostering trade, encouraging investment, and giving development grants.

Ensuring cooperation on climate change, environmental protection, and policy advocacy.

To end illegal migration, regulating factors linked with migration and facilitating legal migration channels.