Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of Nigeria, 2013: A Still Birth?

Abstract

The Same Sex Prohibition Act of Nigeria, 2013,(hereinafter referred to as the Act) a prohibiting any marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex, solemnization of the same; and for related matters was signed into Law on the 7^th day of January, 2014 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The passage instantly generated a plethora of reactions. Does the Same Sex Prohibition Act, 2013 infringe on fundamental human rights? Does the Same Sex Prohibition Act, 2013 breach the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended? How far can the principle of cultural relativism protect this Act?. Is this law really current or needed at all? Are there germane issues that are far from the contemplation of this law which may have created lacunas? This work seeks to find answers to these questions.

Keywords: Same sex, Marriage, Human rights