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The Center for Innovation and Development of Journalism, through UDEME, its social responsibility program, held a webinar to discuss Nigeria’s participation in the Samoa Agreement.
The event, which took place on June 20, 2024 and was moderated by Tobi Oluwatola, CEO of Tao Energy, examined the risks and benefits of signing the Agreement.
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The Samoa Agreement follows the 1959 Yaoundé Agreement and seeks to strengthen the partnership between EU countries and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
Panelists included Rabiu Yusuf, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements, and Asabe Ndahi, program director of the Kukah Centre.
Speaking at the event, Yusuf noted that the National Assembly is yet to fully participate in the conversation on the Samoa Agreement, but added that the document spells out many benefits for Nigeria as a participating nation.
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According to him, the signing of the Agreement must be transparent and in line with Nigeria’s internal values.
“Therefore, I will do everything I can with my power, with my desk in the National Assembly, possibly to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs to show why we should sign it officially, since there is not much time left,” he added.
Article page with promotion of financial support
While making her contributions, Ms Ndahi noted that while the Agreement mentions human capital development and bilateral trade agreements between Nigeria and the EU as some of the benefits, she emphasized the need to read between the lines to identify what is more important for Nigeria.
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According to her, the disadvantages can be crucial.
“We continue to sign agreements from time to time. The question is: how long will we continue to sign treaties when there is no proper monitoring and implementation?
“We need to understand that our bargaining power as a country has to increase, and that only when we do our internal cleaning.”
Mr Oluwatola, the moderator, expressed concern over the interpretation of Article 9.2 of the Agreement, which has been interpreted as promoting LGBTQ rights in Nigeria.
“Article 9.2 that we pointed out and that will likely promote LGBTQ rights does not include the words LGBTQ or anything of that nature. It does include, without discrimination on any basis, including sex, but it does not say LGBTQ. So my question is, why do we interpret that immediately?
In response, Yusuf said the LGBTQ issue is sensitive in Nigeria.
”So you have to see how to modify it to adapt it to your needs and your region and sit on your own because it will broaden our horizons.
”The article has been mentioned in a clever way that cannot be heard directly. As Nigerians, I consider this to be a very sensitive issue. Depending on our position, our religious origin, our social origin and our cultural origin, the issue has already been legislated, linking the LGBTQ issue. I will recommend collaboration with other necessary stakeholders to create awareness through participation of many stakeholders.”
Mrs Ndahi noted that the Nigerian government must strive to position the country’s economy through thoughtful policies.
and determined negotiations.
Similarly, Mary Ekemezie, a lawyer, noted that the Samoa Agreement lacks provisions for reservations or declarations by participating countries, which could have serious implications for the nation’s younger population and sovereignty.
“First of all, this treaty, unfortunately, as it was written, does not allow for the usual exceptions, which is the biggest problem we are having and is the reason why the countries that chose not to participate have done so. There are no provisions for reservations or declarations.
“The second thing is that this treaty allows the EU to bypass funding from the government and directly to EU-aligned NGOs and UN agencies. We would be lying if we said we haven’t seen a massive shift in the overall cultural tone of our country. And this is also an important way to promote the comprehensive sexuality education agenda in Nigeria,” he added.
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About the Samoa Agreement
The Samoa Agreement is a framework cooperation agreement between 27 countries of the European Union and 79 countries of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
The Agreement was signed on November 15, 2022 in Samoa. So far, 46 OASCP countries and 27 EU countries have signed it. For the Agreement to be fully implemented, all 27 EU members must sign it. Nigeria has not yet signed. Two-thirds of OASCP countries have seven pending signatures.
You can read more about the Agreement here.
SAMOA AGREEMENT WEBINAR FLYER
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