Forty African countries have endorsed a proposed charter on family, sovereignty and values aimed at strengthening families and protecting children from what its proponents describe as foreign ideologies considered inconsistent with African cultural and family values.
The development was disclosed by the Executive Director of the Center for African Policy and Advisory, Segun Adebayo, at a global town hall meeting organised by LoveWorld Ministry in Lagos.
Adebayo said efforts were underway to submit the draft charter to the African Union (AU), with February next year being targeted for the submission.
According to him, the proposed charter seeks to establish a framework for African countries to assert greater control over policies affecting family life, children and education.
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He said the document rejects the concept of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which he described as a threat to the African family. He also alleged that some policies promoted under the SRHR framework could lead to the introduction of values that conflict with African cultural and religious beliefs.
“That’s the government taking a legal stand on these standards. It is for African countries to endorse. We are putting our weight behind the document they are taking to the AU once it crystallises, hopefully by February,” he said.
Adebayo also criticised comprehensive sexuality education, arguing that parents should have greater control over the nature and content of sexuality-related education provided to children.
He raised concerns about what he described as international guidance on sexuality education and alleged that some programmes expose children to subjects he considered inappropriate for their ages.
He alleged that concepts such as sexual orientation, sexual diversity and bodily autonomy were being introduced into educational programmes in ways that could undermine parental authority.
Also speaking at the event, the President of Family Watch, Sharon Slater, argued that African countries should scrutinise sexuality education programmes and their funding.
Slater questioned what she described as the promotion of comprehensive sexuality education and LGBT-related issues in African countries, alleging that international organisations and donors were investing heavily in such programmes.
She urged parents to become more involved in determining what children are taught in schools.
“Parents need to get involved to know what their children are being taught in school,” she said.
The Legal Adviser to the Christian Association of Professionals for Africa and International Relations (CAPRAI), Barrister Sonnie Ekwowusi, similarly called for greater parental participation in curriculum development.
Ekwowusi said parents had a right to know the contents of educational materials used to teach their children, particularly where such materials address sexuality and reproductive health.
He alleged that some Nigerian school textbooks contain references to subjects including masturbation, sterilisation, breast enlargement, homosexuality, lesbianism, sexual orientation and contraception, which he considered inappropriate for children.
He also alleged that condoms were used in some textbook examples and exercises, calling for greater public scrutiny of educational materials.
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“The parents have a right to know what is being taught to their children,” Ekwowusi said.
He identified the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) as a key institution responsible for curriculum development and called for parents to have a stronger voice in the process.
The lawyer said parents should not be excluded from discussions about curricula, particularly when educational materials address sexuality, relationships and family life.
He added that legal practitioners were examining some of the concerns through appropriate legal channels.
The Executive Minister of the Ministry of Information, LoveWorld, Pastor T. T. Temisan said the debate over comprehensive sexuality education went beyond individual lessons to questions about the values and worldview presented to children and families.