The bill, which still must be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, spells out a 14-year jail term for anyone involved in same-sex marriages.

Those who abet or aid such unions could be given 10 years, as would “any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs… or directly or indirectly makes public show of same sex amorous relationships,” the bill says.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that his country will consider withholding aid from countries that do not recognise gay rights.

Senate President David Mark said during debate on the bill on Tuesday that “our values are our values.”

“If there is any country that does not want to give us aid or assistance just because we want to hold on to our values, that country can keep her aid and assistance,” he said.

“No country has the right to interfere in the way we make our own laws because we don’t interfere in the way others make their own laws.”

During a public hearing last month, gay activists staged a protest outside parliament calling for the bill to be dropped, saying it infringed on their fundamental human rights.

It was unclear why lawmakers decided a ban was necessary, with gay marriage not known to be prevalent in Nigeria and homosexuals already harshly discriminated against.

The country is strongly religious, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south. Islamic sharia law is in place in 12 northern states, though it is selectively enforced.

On Tuesday, one rights activist called the bill a waste of time in a country lacking even the most basic infrastructure needs, including adequate electricity, despite Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest oil producer.

“I can’t recall a particular place where this type of marriage has taken place in Nigeria,” said Adetokunbo Mumuni, director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

“This particular thing they have assented to is a thing of no substance to Nigeria. They should focus on things that affect the majority of Nigerians.”

In the east African nation of Uganda, a controversial bill that calls for the death penalty for certain homosexual acts was recently reintroduced in the parliament.

Is Nigeria being too harsh on this one, Should same sex marriage be legalised in Nigeria? 

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