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BY SEGUN ADEBAYO –
Amid ceaseless reports of lecturers coercing students for grades, admission advantages and other illicit academic favours, the Nigerian Senate has moved against sexual offenders in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Going by the provisions of a bill currently before the Senate, educators convicted of sexually harassing students risk up to 14 years imprisonment for such offensive and criminal act
The bill titled Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597), was presented for concurrence by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, during Wednesday’s plenary.
According to Senator Ashiru, the bill is designed to protect students from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse within academic environments.
In “providing clear legal frameworks for the enforcement and punishment of offenders”, the Senator said the bill is enacted to promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary education, the sanctity of the student-educator relationship of authority, dependency and respect for human dignity.
The Red chamber noted the provisions of the bill that says, “any person who commits any of the offences or acts specified in clause 4 (1), (2) and (3) of this Bill is guilty of an offence of felony and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to an imprisonment term of up to 14 years but not less than 5 years, without an option of a fine.
“(i) Any person who commits any of the offences or acts specified in Clause 4 (4), (5) and (6) of this Bill is guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to an imprisonment term of up to 5 years but not less than 2 years, without an option of a fine.”
Additionally, the bill states that a student who alleges harassment may also pursue a civil action for breach of fiduciary duty, and that the standard of proof shall be the same as in civil proceedings.
The bill also outlines a wide range of offences, including demanding sexual favours, making sexual advances, inducing others to commit harassment, and unwanted touching or gestures.