The Outsiders

The Burden of Processing Sexuality in Nigeria

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This episode of The Outsiders delves into Nigeria's healthcare policies and their inclusivity for LGBTQ+ people. Despite the implementation of the National Health Act in 2014, aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility for all Nigerians, certain barriers persist, particularly affecting marginalised groups like the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, we meet Yinka Seth, an experienced public health professional specialising in HIV care, mental health, and health policy reform. We also hear from Ebuka*, a social media health coordinator who aids LGBTQ+ persons nationwide in accessing healthcare services through his "safe" hospital directory. Both of them share how burdensome it is to process sexuality in Nigeria under restrictive conditions.

Trigger Warning: This episode addresses sensitive issues.

Hosted by Todah Opeyemi

Key Timestamps

[00:05:27] Language and mental health barriers.

[00:10:56] Non-queer NGOs preferred by some LGBTQ+ individuals.

[00:22:07] Inclusive healthcare for all Nigerians.

[00:26:50] Speak up against discrimination.

Selected Quotes

  • "I want to categorically state here that there is something lacking in most queer NGOs, which is emotional intelligence."
  • "But if you look at the way the NHIA is set up, it does not exactly care about including or protecting the needs of LGBT people, like expanding health insurance to cover these people or providing for their needs."
  • "So the reason that young people are coming down with HIV or STDs or what have you is because no one's telling them that there's value in them and they don't need to have sex with anyone to validate themselves."
  • "We are not going to stop talking. We are not going to stop talking about experiences until we achieve what our aim is in Nigeria."

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