Nigerian Gay Activist Appointed LGBTQ+ Head for Refugee Organization [Video]

Bisi Alimi, a gay activist who fled persecution in Nigeria and is now living in the United Kingdom has been appointed as the new Executive Director for Safe Place International- Greece [SPG]. He will be spearheading LGBTQ+ advocacy for SPG thus making him one of the few refugees heading an international refugee organization. His appointment comes at a time when most African states continue to systematically persecute and discriminate against the LGBTQ+ communities.

Alimi earned a master’s degree in Global Governance and Public Policy from Birkbeck College, University of London and was recently offered the John Stopford Scholarship to study for a Masters in Executive Coaching program at Meyler Campbell Coaching School. He has also given a number of international public speeches and lectures where he has narrated his passion for LGBTQ+ rights.

In 2004, Alimi became the first man in Nigeria to openly disclose his sexual orientation and HIV positive status thus triggering the persecution which made him sought asylum in the UK. His quest for human rights for the LGBTQ+ communities in Africa has made him one of the most iconic faces for the social movement. Alimi is the center of activity for such organizations as The Initiative for Equal Rights in Nigeria, the Kaleidoscope Trust (UK), and Bisi Alimi Foundation.


By Shepherd Mutsvara

Top Image Courtesy of  Barcex's Flickr Page: Creative Commons License

Video Courtesy of Safe Place International's Facebook Page.


RefujKamp.com is a platform for academic and non-academic research on refugees and asylum seekers from Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to expand knowledge, experience, and perspectives on displacement and persecution in Africa.

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