In 2013, after the passing of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA), NOI Polls independently conducted the first Social Perception Survey on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights in Nigeria to explore the views of Nigerians regarding homosexuality and their level of support for the SSMPA.
Since 2015, The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) has continued to commission this survey biennially. This year’s survey was conducted by Vivid Rain Resources and it presents updated findings from the previous polls while drawing a comparison with earlier polls conducted in 2013, 2015 and 2017. The respondents were polled face-to-face, and are classified by gender, age group, occupation, geopolitical zone, educational level, and marital status.
This year’s survey shows a gradual increase in acceptance of LGBT+ persons. The results show that 60 percent of Nigerians will not accept a family member who is LGBT. While this is high, it is significant progress from the 83 percent who said they would not accept an LGBT family member in 2017. Similarly, there is a change in the public attitude to the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) as more Nigerians appear to no longer support the law. In 2015, 90 percent of respondents surveyed supported the law but in 2019, about 75 percent support it. This shows a significant 15 percent drop in four years. While most Nigerians still view LGBT rights negatively, the public seems to be moving towards a higher level of acceptance and tolerance. The report also shows that young people are more accepting of LGBT people than the older generation. This follows the trend from the 2013, 2015 and 2017 polls.
The full report will officially be released on Thursday, 13th of June, 2019. We hope that the survey can serve as a point of reference for all of us as we continue to fight for equality for LGBTQI+ persons in Nigeria.
Read the full report here: