People in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community in Nigeria face severe challenges. Both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria and punishable by death in the northern portion of the country and up to 14 years of imprisonment in the southern portion of the country. There are no legal protections for LGBTQ people in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 230 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south. Very few LGBTQ people are open about their sexuality, as violence against them is frequent. According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities generally target the LGBTQ community. Many LGBTQ Nigerians seek asylum in countries with progressive laws.
Attempted same-sex marriages have also been criminalised within Nigeria since 2013. The maximum punishment in 12 northern states with Shari'a law is death by stoning. The law applies to all Muslims and those who have voluntarily consented to the jurisdiction of the Shari'a courts. However, in southern Nigeria and under the secular criminal laws of northern Nigeria, the maximum punishment for same-sex sexual activity is 14 years of imprisonment, which is less severe. In 2022, a group of Nigerian human rights organizations and activists filed a lawsuit arguing that Sections 4(1), 5(2), and 5(3) of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 violated provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. That same year, the court ruled that these sections were unconstitutional and could not be enforced in any part of the country, effectively allowing LGBTQ+ organizations and individuals to exist and organize freely.
