Your daughter could be LGBTQ

The drama continues as FG denies signing LGBTQ law

Jul 08, 2024

Good morning again, Big Brains. Guess who finally knows how to turn on their generator? Me! Thanks to a certain genius who is also a The Big Daily reader. And the lessons came in handy on Saturday. You’ll understand why when you read the newsletter.

- Margaret

Word count: ~800
Reading time ~ 2 mins

This Week’s Big Question - “If black people could have superpowers, what would you want yours to be?” Share your responses with us and if we think it’s fun enough, we’ll feature it in the newsletter :) so be on the lookout.

Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend:

FG denies signing new pro-LGBTQ law
National grid collapse for the fourth time this year
First Lady calls on Nigerian women to lead food security efforts

The Big Deal

FG denies signing new pro-LGBTQ law

One thing we never thought we’d ever have to write about is the clash of the progressives and the political homophobes but oh well. Last week, the news of the federal government signing the Samoa agreement hit the streets. This agreement was signed in Samoa by the European Union, its 27 member states, and 79 member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to tackle evolving needs and worldwide challenges such as climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, peace, and security.

As soon as the news broke, some prominent Nigerians started hinting that the agreement has clauses that would possibly lead to the legalization and recognition of queer rights in the country. A report by the Daily Trust Media also helped the rumours spread faster and the scanty details were enough to upset many Nigerians.

Former lawmaker Shehu Sanni was one of the first Nigerians to drop their two cents, saying, “African states should not accept loans or grants from any country, group of countries or international institutions that came with demonic conditions antithetical to our culture, religious faiths and values. All African countries including Nigeria who appended their signatures should go back and ‘unsign’ the Samoa agreement.”

Opposition parties like the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) also called for the withdrawal of the controversial agreement.

“This treacherous move is a betrayal of the Nigerian people’s trust and values, and we demand that the government immediately withdraw from this agreement.”

Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, has now debunked these rumours. He also criticised the Daily Trust's report as malicious and mean-spirited, saying there's no LGBTQ-related agreement in the documents they signed and vowing that their poor journalism will have legal consequences.

Why is this a big deal?

In 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan criminalised same-sex marriages and queer relationships in Nigeria. Since then, many Nigerians have been more hostile towards the LGBTQ+ community on the grounds of legal, traditional and religious bias.

During the 2020 #EndSARS protest, queer Nigerians made a loud statement that would raise alarm in the minds of the conservatives and acceptance in the minds of progressives. So far, the rejection and homophobic/transphobic attacks have outweighed the support. The reactions surrounding the mere possibility of the Samoa agreement leading to the legalisation of queer rights goes to show that Nigeria might never accept its queer citizens, even though the daughter of the president is openly queer and privileged to live in a country that recognizes her rights.

National grid collapse for the fourth time this year

If you cursed “NEPA” when your lights went out on Saturday afternoon, you might want to take it back because it wasn’t technically their fault. The nationwide blackout was caused by the fall of the national electricity grid, marking the fourth fall this year alone.

In May, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced that it had successfully decreased grid disturbances and collapses in Nigeria by 76.47% but that information is hard to believe given the continued frequency of grid collapses.

The power plants contributing to the grid started shutting down starting around 2 pm until they completely collapsed by 4 pm. Unlike other instances of grid failures that extended over several days, the most recent fall went unnoticed by many Nigerians because it lasted only a couple of hours.

4 down, many to come…

A national blackout in 2024 isn’t cute. But four national blackouts in six months? Somebody needs to get fired. The inconsistency of electricity supply caused by these recurring grid collapses disrupts the daily life, work, and businesses of Nigerians but there is no assurance that this would be the last. At this point, all we can do is cross our hearts and hope to find fuel.

First Lady calls on Nigerian women to lead food security efforts

Nigerian women have been advised to be many things—good wives, good cooks, good mothers—but the most interesting of all advice, is the First Lady’s PSA urging Nigerian women to become good farmers to reduce food insecurity.

Senator Remi Tinubu gave the advice on Saturday while showing off her vegetable garden which she planted to encourage first-time women farmers to join the ongoing “Every Home A Garden Competition.”

If you’re wondering what’s in the First Lady’s garden, it's spinach, water leaf, bitter leaf, ewedu, lemon grass, scent leaf, and okro.

“This small garden will provide healthy vegetables for my family and staff. The solution to any problem is everyone doing their part to find solutions. As a leader, I must set an example and plant my own garden,” she said.

She urged first-time women farmers across the country to join the competition by planting gardens at home to produce enough food for themselves and their neighbours.

“This will also encourage community living and support the government's food security campaign. The vegetables have medicinal benefits, and the garden sets an example for women to embrace smart gardening,” Remi said.

Since the First Lady is channelling her inner Nara Smith and leading by example by growing food from scratch, we wonder if the ₦660.5 million that was supposed to provide “refreshment, meals and foodstuff” for the president and vice president or the ₦201.4 million budgeted for the feeding of the animals in Aso rock would be getting slashed anytime soon

The Big Picks

Tinubu Re-Elected As ECOWAS Chairman: President Bola Tinubu has been chosen again as the leader of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a year after he first became its chairman.

NASU, SSANU To Commence Nationwide Protest Tomorrow: The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) have instructed their members nationwide to prepare for a nationwide protest.

If you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter, don’t forget to subscribe and share. You can also leave feedback for us in the comments or by filling out this form.