Understanding Samoa Agreement and It Many Controversies
By Anuoluwapo Lebi
One of the most controversial topics in recent time is the Samoa agreement. The agreement is a legal framework for relations between the EU- a major provider of development aid – and 79 members of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
On 15 November 2023, the European Union (EU) and its Member States signed a new partnership agreement(referred to as the ‘Samoa Agreement’) with member states of the
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States(OACPS). The multiple negotiation levels, the coronavirus crisis and difficulties in reaching agreement on sensitive issues, such
as migration management and sexual and reproductive health and rights, prevented the new agreement from being finalised by the initial expiry date set in the Cotonou Agreement. It took more than two years of negotiations before the text of a renewed
partnership agreement was initiated in April 2021, and two more years for the EU Member States to resolve dissenting views before signing.
The future agreement will be provisionally applied from January 2024, and further legal procedures will be required before it can enter
fully into force, notably ratification by at least two-thirds (53) of OACPS members.
The Samoa Agreement is based on six key priorities: human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable
economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility.
The EU and the OACPS agreed on the principle of a common foundation complemented by three regional protocols(for African, Caribbean, and Pacific OACPS members respectively).
However, the agreement was greeted by heavy criticism, especially for allegedly including a clause that supports the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queers (LGBTQ) agenda.
In Nigeria, Religious organizations, Civil Society Organizations and other pressure groups have insisted on the suspension of the Samoa agreement, stating that some of it clauses allegedly clash with both religious and moral principles.
Weeks ago, Daily Trust newspaper, in a report, raised concerns over clauses that allegedly mandate LGBT rights in the Agreement signed by the Nigerian government on 28 June.
Daily Trust reports that some clerics, rights activists, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria are furious over the decision of the federal government to sign the controversial agreement.
The report, premised on an opinion article by Sonnie Ekwowusi, a Lagos-based lawyer, was amplified by other news platforms. This led to a backlash against the federal government, as many Nigerians criticised it for sacrificing the country’s moral values for Western aid.
However, the Nigerian government denied the claim and said there was no LGBTQ+ clause in the agreement.
PREMIUM TIMES fact-checked the Daily Trust report and found it untrue. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also debunked the claim in the report. The Nigerian government has since formally reported Daily Trust to the media ombudsman.
Despite these, the House of Representatives, acting on a motion by the Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano), called for the government to suspend implementation over the alleged controversial clauses.
The Federal Government through Economic Planning Minister, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu said the Agreement was signed on 28 June 2024 after being subject to extensive reviews and consultations by the country’s inter-ministerial committee.
Premium Times further noted that “Nigerian lawmakers have not been entirely truthful about the Samoa Agreement controversy.”
Amid the back and forth, Federal government of Nigeria has reacted to the media report about a purported Samoa Deal, suggesting “that it has accepted to recognise the rights of LGBT community in Nigeria in exchange for $150billion aid benefits, reaffirming that on June 28, 2024, Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.”
In conclusion, the misinformation about Samoa Agreement shows the danger of fake news or half truth can cause in country like Nigeria where reading culture is low. Media organizations should avoid unnecessary sensationalism and always adhere to principles of journalism.