Death penalty

Nigeria

Death penalty in the 12 northern Sharia states; 14 years' imprisonment elsewhere; the 2014 Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act.

Same-sex activity
Illegal
Recognition
No legal recognition
Death penalty
In law or applied
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Confidence
High
Reviewed
September 2026

Travel advice

Avoid open conduct and any public affection. In death-penalty jurisdictions do not travel openly as a couple, and check FCDO or State Department advice before any trip.

Check the UK FCDO or US State Department advice before you book.

Where the boys go

Lagos has an underground scene; still Tier 4.

Method

Tiered on the legal status and social acceptance of gay men and LGB people using ILGA World, the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Human Dignity Trust, the Williams Institute, Pew, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, Equaldex and court rulings. Where two tiers are plausible we choose the more cautious one. How we tier. Last reviewed September 2026.