Nigeria: Catholic Bishops and the Islamic Forum of Nigeria express reservations with the Samoa Agreement

Vatican News.

In a Statement issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), the Nigerian prelates describe the recently signed Samoa Agreement as  “a threat to the sovereignty and values of Nigeria.” Similarly, the Islamic Forum of Nigeria has expressed opposition to the Agreement. This is according to information by Agenzia Fides.

The Samoa Agreement, agreed upon on 15 November 2023 in Apia (Samoa Islands) by the European Union and its 27 member states with the 79 countries belonging to the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), is a new agreement that will serve as a general legal framework for relations in the next twenty years. The Samoa Agreement replaces previous pacts (the Lomé Agreement 1975 and the Cotonou Agreement 2000).

The implications of the nuanced language

On 28 June, the Nigerian Ambassador in Brussels signed the Agreement on behalf of his country. In a 25-point statement published on 11 July at the end of their Assembly, the Nigerian Bishops, defining themselves as “watchmen and guides, deeply committed to the sound moral, religious, and cultural growth of our dear country,” call on the Federal Government of Nigeria “to propose an amendment of the Agreement or withdraw from it.” This is because according to the Statement signed by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and by Bishop Donatus A. Ogun, the Bishop of Uromi Diocese and Secretary of the CBCN, “the Agreement looks innocuous and attractive on the surface, but underneath it is carefully blended with post-modern secularistic ideologies that significantly undermine the moral, cultural, and religious beliefs of Nigerian citizens, “the Statement reads.

“We are concerned that our civil authorities may not be fully aware of the implications of the nuanced language in the document, which threatens our national sovereignty and values.” The Bishops continue: “The Samoa Agreement has 61 references to gender equality, gender perspectives and gender mainstreaming … The most outstanding is Article 2.5: The parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all policies.” According to the CBCN, “The term gender is no longer an innocent term. There are over 110 genders that would claim a stake in the term gender equality.”

CBCN proposes an Amendment 

The Nigerian prelates call on “the Government to propose an insertion of a substantive article in the general Agreement and the African Regional Protocol that nothing in this binding Agreement can be interpreted to include any obligations regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, comprehensive sexuality education, abortion, contraception, legalisation of prostitution, same-sex marriage, or sexual rights for children.”

Otherwise, the Bishops conclude, “Nigeria should withdraw from the Samoa Agreement if the EU rejects the proposed Amendment. A precedent has already been set by South Africa, which withdrew from the Cotonou Agreement in 2023.”

View of the Islamic Forum of Nigeria

At the end of its meeting, the Islamic Forum of Nigeria called on “the federal government to withdraw from the Samoa Agreement without further delay. The meeting advised the Federal and state governments to consult with the people on any important treaty related to their social, educational, and religious life before signing the Agreement. Parents and teachers should strictly observe the moral upbringing of their children and be vigilant, especially about what they watch on social media.”