Nigerians Express Their Views On Same Sex Marriage

A new survey carried out recently over same-sex marriage, which has just been signed into law in the United States of America, has revealed what Nigerians make of homosexual relationships. This also comes about 18 months after the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act into law, which effectively ensured same-sex unions in Nigeria became a criminal offence punishable by a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.

This Day reports that according to an independent poll conducted by NOI Polls Limited, a country specific polling service that conducts periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria, most Nigerian adults still remain in support of the law. Advertisement The poll result suggests that this support is unaffected by the recent legalisation of same-sex marriage by the United States Supreme Court, revealing further that most Nigerians have, regardless of the law, refused to accept the lesbian, gay and bi-sexual (LGB) community and practices in the society. About 87 per cent of adults who were randomly interviewed from the country’s six geopolitical zones said they would not accept a family member who is homosexual with a larger proportion of Nigerians (90 per cent) expressing their disbelief about people being born homosexual. NOI’s Director of Research, Dr. Bell Ihua, disclosed that the poll was conducted in partnership with the Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) and Bisi Alimi Foundation, chiefly to measure the perception of Nigerians towards the LGB community. “This new figure is down 5-points from the 2013 poll result, where majority (92 per cent) showed support for the bill. More findings revealed that a majority of Nigerians (81 per cent) do not believe homosexuals should have the same rights as other Nigerians. “Furthermore, the results showed that 9 in 10 Nigerians (90 per cent) do not believe people are born homosexual, suggesting that being gay is a quality that is acquired through life’s experiences. “87 per cent of those interviewed stated that they would not be willing to accept a family member who is homosexual; although 11 per cent showed willingness to accept a gay family member. “In conclusion, Nigerians do not support marital rights for the LGB community, however they are slightly in support of some socio-economic rights,” Ihua said. There was jubilation in the USA last week, following the announcement by the Supreme Court that the country had legalised same sex marriage throughout the federation.