It felt like condemning Jesus to the cross, when the Jews shouted in unison “crucify him”, in Nigeria on the 7th February, 2014 when homosexuality was criminalized. It appeared all Nigerians were saying “crucify them” like the Jews. This news became a hot debate back then in my school, eventually it led to a departmental debate, where I represented my class supporting the proposition, “The Nigerian Anti-Gay Law; An Abuse of Human Right”.
The position I held at the debate, the cold and illogical judgement of one of the judges marked my turning point. I got a course with direction – helping the marginalized groups get justice – especially the lesbian, gay, transgender and queer community in Nigeria and beyond its shores. This event since 2014 has informed every major project I engage in till date.
As an undergraduate student, I felt obliged to start a blog (hegelianizm.wordpress.com), where the human rights of the marginalized groups and other political thematic issues are being discussed and the blog remains active till date. In the same vein, my undergraduate thesis was titled: “An Evaluation of the Anti – Gay Law and Fundamental Human Rights In Nigeria”. I got persecuted by my supervisor, who happened to be a Christian faithful. Despite the objective research, he graded the project work a C, which plummeted my CGPA at graduation.
I only developed a thick skin from the vitriolic comment of the judge and the disparaging average result for my undergraduate thesis. I went ahead to publish my thesis on GRIN to make it available at global level. In a frantic effort to further my course on the marginalized groups, I co-authored an article titled: “The Universality of Human Rights and Homosexuality: A Focus on Gender Issues in Africa” (published by sociology of science, CS Canada). I have strongly flaunted my advocacy with all my social media accounts, especially twitter (@hegelwhite).
Lastly, the 2014 criminalisation of homosexuality in Nigeria and the departmental debate it precipitated made me choose a career in policy research. This drove me in 2019 to apply for the DAAD scholarship on good governance and public policy, which I got chosen as a scholar for the 2020/2021 session. In conclusion, my turning point has driven me into policy research profession to further the cause of marginalized groups and their human rights.