"WE HAVE CODE WORDS FOR EVERYTHING": MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES OF WOMEN IN SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NORTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines maintenance strategies among women in same-sex
relationships in Kaduna Metropolis, North-Western Nigeria, a context shaped by religious values,
legal prohibition under the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014, and strict gender
expectations. Guided by symbolic interactionist theory, the qualitative study employed in-depth
interviews with 22 women in same-sex relationships across four Local Government Areas, plus ten
key informant interviews with community and religious leaders and civil society actors. Thematic
analysis revealed five maintenance strategies: coded communication systems (private languages,
pet names, and nonverbal cues); spatial and temporal management through orchestrated schedules;
financial interdependence via informal savings schemes (esusu/ajo) and joint business ventures;
selective disclosure to trusted allies; and spiritual reframing that situates relationships within
concepts of divine love and destiny. The study concludes these strategies represent adaptive
responses through which women sustain intimate partnerships despite structural constraints,
contributing to understanding relationship maintenance under legal and social prohibition