“Within the IDP camps, queer people find it extremely difficult. Those people have been fleeing the north. They will always come to this part of the country. But we do not have enough resources to serve them. We do not have enough safe spaces. I don’t think organisations like ours and many others are doing enough to cater for the challenges of this population. Because we are already stretched thin serving the population who live
here.” – Input from a Lagos-based LGBTQIA+ CSO staff member
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I am very pleased to publish the latest report and recommendations from The International PRIDE Centre: Protection and Assistance for LGBTQIA+ persons
affected by displacements and emergencies in Nigeria.
Our team conducted field research in Nigeria in May of this year, interviewing dozens of civil society groups, advocacy organisations, and key informants and senior officials with INGOs, UN agencies, and displaced persons aid organisations.
The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria is staggering, and the impact of aid cuts have really only just begun. The impacts to LGBTQIA+ persons affected by emergencies and displacement – already among the most vulnerable communities in any crisis- are even more acute.
According to The PRIDE Centre’s estimates, the number of LGBTQIA+ people in humanitarian need in Nigeria is approaching an estimated 400,000, extrapolated from UN OCHA’s figure of 7.8 million people in need. Yet LGBTQIA+ people remain largely invisible in humanitarian planning, despite being among the most vulnerable in forced displacement settings. When queer individuals cannot access essential aid—such as trans people being excluded from food distribution or survivors of sexual violence denied medical care—the consequences are life-threatening.
Some of the key findings which stood out to me include:
- None of the international aid agencies or local LGBTQIA+ organisations The PRIDE Centre met with were engaged in humanitarian aid or displacement-focused programming.
- There are no legal constraints to providing aid and services to LGBTQIA+ persons in Nigeria. Providing assistance for LGBTQIA+ specific needs is not illegal.
- Many of the key informants the PRIDE Centre team interviewed noted that there were large numbers of LGBTQIA+ people in IDP camps and other displacement settings that were under-served by current humanitarian programming.
- LGBTQIA+ organisations in northern and more conservative states such as Kano and Kaduna are already delivering services to SOGIESC communities, and have developed strategies to manage the risks involved, and therefore International aid agencies are recommended to engage in partnershipsin order to reach the highly vulnerable LGBTQIA+ persons within the IDP population.
Summary of Findings & Recommendations
Legal Analysis:
While Nigeria criminalises same-sex contact, there are no laws prohibiting service provision or information-sharing for LGBTQIA+ communities. Humanitarian and development actors have both thelegal ability and responsibility to include LGBTQIA+ persons in programming.
Courts have confirmed the legality of registering LGBTQIA+ organisations, and national frameworks such as the HIV/AIDS Act and Violence Against Persons Act provide protective entry points. International and regional treaties ratified by Nigeria further reinforce these obligations.
LGBTQIA+ Needs in Displacement:
An estimated minimum of 400,000 LGBTQIA+ people are in need of humanitarian assistance. However, The PRIDE Centre has not been able to identify any INGOs or CSOs engaged in formal assistance to these communities.
Highlighted Recommendations:
The International PRIDE Centre urges aid agencies to:
- Inclusion and specific provisions for LGBTQIA+ community needs in Nigeria’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.
- Conduct LGBTQIA+ inclusive needs assessments in IDP and refugee camps.
- Partner with LGBTQIA+ CSOs to reach queer communities in displacement settings.
- Fund safe houses, legal aid, and mental health support.
- Build internal capacities to recognise and respond to LGBTQIA+ need in response programming.
- Conduct pragmatic risk assessment and mitigation procedures to ensure LGBTQIA+ persons are not being left behind in service provision.
These steps are legal, feasible, and life-saving.
The PRIDE Centre is available to support implementation and risk mitigation.