The community of Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Nigeria face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents in every part of the country.
The LGBT rights in this part of the world are generally infringed upon; both male and female expressions of homosexuality are illegal in Nigeria, punishable by up to 14 years of incarceration in the conventional court system.
Hence, there is no legal protection for LGBT rights in Nigeria—a largely conservative country of more than 230 million people, consist of mainly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south.
Very few LGBT persons are open about their sexual orientation, as violence against them is frequent. A good and recent example, popular celebrity cross dresser, Bobrisky appeared in court on a case of abuse of Nigeria currency. During personal introduction, he announced himself as a man contrary to his female outlook,dressing and personality. He was ashamed to disclose his LGBT status, which made him to serve his prison term in a male prison facility.
According to PinkNews, Nigerian authorities , particularly social and cultural values are generally target the LGBT community. Many LGBT Nigerians are fleeing to countries with progressive law to seek protection of their rights. In recent time, the United Kingdom and Canada have been a Mecca for this community of people.
In addition, same-sex marriages have also been criminalised within Nigeria since 2013. The maximum punishment in the 12 northern states that have adopted Shari’a law is death by stoning. A capital punishment for such offense.
That law applies to all Muslims and to those who have voluntarily consented to application of the Shari’a courts. In southern Nigeria and under the secular criminal laws of northern Nigeria, the maximum punishment for same-sex sexual activity is 14 years’ imprisonment.
According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97% of Nigerian residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, which was the second-highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed.
In 2015, a survey by an organisation founded by a Nigerian homosexual activist based in London claimed this percentage decreased to 94%. In this survey by Bisi Alimi, as of the same period the percentage of Nigerians who agree LGBT persons should receive education, healthcare, and housing is 30%. The level of disapproval declined slightly to 91% in another Pew Research Center poll in 2019.
The increasing number of Nigerians migrating to Europe and America is making a shape decline in the level of acceptance of the LGBT community, due to exposure and cross cultural influence.
Nigeria society have not shifted ground on the rights of LGBT community despite the increasing number of this people in our society, but they push their rights and privileges in the dark, with support from members who have sought asylum in European and doing well in various countries.