According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 97%[6] of Nigerian residents believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, which was the second-highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed.

In this survey by Bisi Alimi, as of the same period the percentage of Nigerians who agree LGBT persons should receive education, healthcare, and housing is 30%.

On 18 January 2007, the cabinet of Nigeria approved the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2006 and sent it to the National Assembly for urgent action.

Since the enactment of Nigeria's Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) in 2014, LGBTQ individuals have faced intensified harassment, violence, and social exclusion.

[18] While Western advocacy, particularly by the United States, has provided financial support for LGBTQ rights in Nigeria and other African countries, critics argue that these efforts have often had unintended consequences.

[18] The visibility of LGBTQ individuals has increased, prompting backlash from conservative factions who see the movement as a form of cultural imperialism.

[18] Some Nigerian activists suggest that discreet, locally driven advocacy is a more effective approach to improving conditions for LGBTQ communities.

[18] Despite these challenges, organizations such as the The Initiative For Equal Rights continue to provide essential support and advocacy for LGBTQ Nigerians.

[17] The U.S. Department of State's 2011 Human Rights Report found:[23]: 50 Because of widespread societal taboos against homosexuality, very few persons openly revealed their orientation.

Global Rights and The Independent Project provided lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups with legal advice and training in advocacy, media responsibility, and HIV/AIDS awareness.

In August 2007, eighteen men were arrested by Bauchi state police and charged with sodomy for dressing as women, which is illegal under Shari'a penal code.

[24] These charges were later dropped to vagrancy, and the men were held in jail for several years waiting for trial — which eventually dissolved by the end of 2011.

[32] In January 2019, Dolapo Badmos, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, warned homosexuals to flee the country or face prosecution.

The police in a statement following the arrest said they acted based on tipped information from undisclosed source about a marriage ceremony that was taking place in a private hotel.

The security operatives in a realized statement said the arrest was made following a tip-off on a same-sex birthday party and a planned marriage in the state capital.

[44][45][46] In 2006, Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, delivered an oral statement to the Human Rights Council.

[51] Asylum seekers face challenges even after fleeing Nigeria, including the trauma of displacement, societal stigma, and concern for family members who remain at risk back home.