UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 24) The executive arm of government has engaged with the Principal Officers of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly with a view to accelerating the process of passing into law all human rights-based bills.

Para 25) The Government is making efforts to ensure the enactment into law pending human rights related bills before the National Assembly within the tenure of this administration as a demonstration of its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 1) NHRC stated that since its Universal Period Review, Nigeria has acceded to and/or ratified key human rights instruments. However, most of these treaties were yet to be enacted into domestic legislation.

National Report:
Para 40) … b) … Sections 30-33 of the Child Rights Act also prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;

UN Compilation:
Para 42) CEDAW was concerned that Nigeria remained a source, transit and destination country for trafficking in persons, particularly women and girls, for purposes of sexual and labour exploitation.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 52) JS4 stated that Nigeria had been a source, transit and destination country for trafficking of children for sexual exploitation. Discussions had been ongoing among government ministries on the formulation of a new national action plan.
Para 53) JS15 stated that … girls were at risk of being trafficked to other parts of the country to work as “house-helps”.
Para 73) JS16 stated that the education system was severely underfunded resulting in a lack of proper infrastructure, inadequate classrooms and teaching aids. There were … sexual abuse, …
Para 97) PJ stated that in the camp for internally displaced persons, women and girls had been exposed to sexual abuse, ... and prostitution…

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 10) JS8 stated that … Nigeria had continued to allow the violation of the rights of the LGBT population, despite its obligations to protect those rights arising from several international human rights conventions to which it was a party.
Para 11) JS5 recalled that Nigeria had not supported any of the recommendations from the previous review that inter alia related to the repealing of those laws that discriminated based on sexual orientation and gender identity.16 Certain provisions in the Criminal Code, Penal Code and the National Law and Drug Enforcement Act had disproportionately affected gay men, … The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act had negative consequences beyond the deprivation of marriage rights for gay men and women. JS5 stated that, under Sharia law the penalty for homosexuality was death. The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015, had done little to protect gay men, female sex workers and intravenous drug users as vulnerable populations. AFA stated that the Act was yet to be incorporated into domestic legislation in all states.
Para 12) JS8 stated that expansive provisions of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act had served to codify homophobia and transphobia. JS12 stated that the Act, which generally criminalized same sex relationships, had created additional criminal offences that targeted persons based on their sexual orientation. JS8 stated that the Act had effectively legalized discrimination and had allowed people to act with impunity. Since its enactment there had been an increase in crimes and human rights violations against LGBT persons and their defenders. JS13 stated that the Act and other discriminatory laws had been used to subject the LGBT community to violations including invasion of privacy, assault and battery, black mail and extortion, denial of access to amenities and education.
Para 13) Referring to a relevant study, JS12 noted a significant increase in fear in seeking healthcare services by men who had sex with men after the enactment of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (2014). JS13 stated that sections 5(2) and (3) of the Act had hindered access to Anti-Retroviral Vaccines, HIV testing and counselling services. JS8 stated that LGBT persons had experienced difficulties in accessing health care services. The denial of such services would have a negative impact on Nigeria’s progress towards HIV eradication.
Para 15) JS5 stated that gay men, … had experienced significant discrimination, influenced by traditional culture as well as religious moral values.
Para 64) JS13 stated that LGBT persons had been subjected to forced, violent and arbitrary evictions.
Para 75) JS8 stated that homophobic bullying in schools had proven to be a serious impairment to adequate access to education. There had also been a failure to provide comprehensive and inclusive education on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

National Report:
Para 64) ... Government has taken necessary steps also to engage traditional and religious leaders on the importance of eradicating negative cultural practices from their communities.

Para 67) The National Orientation Agency organizes sensitization programmes for the public on the harmful effects of traditional practices against women, especially widows. Government will continue to intensify efforts to raise awareness as well as disseminate information on the value of human rights among traditional and religious leaders in order to curb negative traditional practices.