Samoa Agreement: 10 things to know

Proving a hot topic in the past few days the Samoa Agreement has thrown the polity into a divisive frenzy on the alleged decision by the Nigerian government to sign an agreement that contains clauses that mandate acknowledgment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) rights in contravention of its constitutional statutes, national and traditional values

It may be recalled that the European Union and its 27 member states and a separate group of countries known as the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) with 79 members including Nigeria signed a partnership agreement in Samoa a country in Oceania on 15 November 2023 which as come to be known as the ‘Samoa Agreement’.

The agreement signed was devised to address global challenges hence, below are 10 quick facts on the Samoa Agreement.-

1. 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 OACPS on the other.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The priorities include human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and mobility/migration.
6. An important principle of the agreement is that ‘’the Parties shall make decisions and undertake actions at the most appropriate domestic, regional or multi-country level’’.
7. No Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer clause in the agreement.
8. The EU and all its member states signed the agreement on November 15, 2023. Out of the 79 members of the OACPS, 74, including Nigeria, signed before the deadline of June 30, 2024.
9. The Samoa Agreement is a veritable instrument for Nigeria’s development cooperation with the EU beyond aid. The OACPS–EU Partnership is one of the most diverse and multifaceted development pacts in the international system.
10. The agreement is to be ratified after due consideration and approval by the Federal Executive Council, National Economic Council, and the National Assembly.