On 28 June 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.
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 15 November 2018 by all 27 EU Member States and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member States.
The agreement contains 103 articles comprising a common foundational compact and three regional protocols: Africa-EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU Regional Protocols, with each protocol addressing the unique issues of its respective region.
The African Regional Protocol consists of two parts. The first is the Framework for Cooperation, while the second deals with Areas of Cooperation, including 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.
This development has sparked debate among social media users in Nigeria. However, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, confirmed in a statement available to Techeconomy that Nigeria signed the Agreement on Friday, 28 June 2024.
According to the Minister, this 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 the 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, the laws of Nigeria, or other extant laws.
In addition, Nigeria’s endorsement was accompanied by a Statement of Declaration dated 26 June 2024, clarifying its understanding and context of the Agreement within its jurisdiction to the effect that any provision inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be invalid.
It is important to note that there is existing legislation against same-sex relationships in Nigeria, enacted in 2014.
The President Bola Tinubu Administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement detrimental to the interests of the country and its citizens. In negotiating the Agreement, officials strictly followed the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS for the process.
The Samoa Agreement is a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union, aiming to promote sustainable development, fight climate change and its effects, generate investment opportunities, and foster collaboration among OACPS Member States on the international stage.
