Nigeria recently criminalised same sex marriage, with a jail term of 14 years for anyone that violates the law.

Ever since President Goodluck Jonathan signed the bill into law on January 13, mixed reactions trailed the development, with US, Canada and the UK, saying that the law violates the rights of individuals to association and expression.

The Nigerian government has said it will not shift grounds on the prohibition, as gay marriages were against the culture of the people of Nigeria.

The law also states that those joined in civil union outside Nigeria will not be recognised in the country and forbids people from running gay clubs in Nigeria.

On Channels Television’s programme, Diplomatic Channel, analysts said that the law prohibiting such marriages had been in existence in Nigeria for over 100 years.

A professor of International Law and jurisprudence, Mr Nsongura Ndombana, said that Sodomy was not a new law in Nigeria, as the Criminal Code of Nigeria section 214 prohibits such relationship.

“Under that section, it is called offences against nature and it has a punishment of 14 years imprisonment. The criminal code is almost 100 years old,” he said.

A lawyer, Mr Chukwuemeka Eze, expressed surprise that some counties were reacting to the issues while they also have not totally implemented the Gay Rights that they are promoting.

He quoted a former president of USA, George W. Bush, as saying that “marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good of the society”.

“There is no federal law supporting gay marriage in America,” he said.

Mr Eze questioned where the Americans where when their president made the comment.

He also urged the American government to let Nigeria grow in its own pace, saying that Nigeria is a sovereign state that has its right to make its own laws.

A large number of Nigerians have praised the government for prohibiting same sex marriage, laying credence to the fact that the culture of Nigerians does not permit such relationships.

Only 16 countries in the world have law that support same sex marriage.

South Africa approved same sex marriage in the country in November 2006.