The Nigerian Senate has taken a strong stance against sexual misconduct in higher institutions by passing the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025, which prescribes up to 14 years imprisonment for lecturers found guilty of sexually harassing students.
The bill, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), aims to dismantle what he described as a “culture of coercion and silence” that has long undermined trust within Nigeria’s academic system.
Bamidele said the new law is designed to protect students from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse, while reinforcing ethical conduct and respect for human dignity in learning environments.
“This law safeguards the sanctity of the student-educator relationship built on authority, dependency, and trust,” he stated. “It ensures that no educator ever uses that trust as a weapon of exploitation again.”
Under the Act, offenders face a minimum of five years and a maximum of 14 years in prison, with no option of fine. Related offences carry two to five years imprisonment, also without an option of fine.
Even those who aid or induce others to commit acts of sexual harassment will face criminal prosecution. The legislation also eliminates the defence of consent, specifying that a student’s consent cannot be used as justification—except in cases of a legally recognised marriage between both parties.
The law empowers students or their representatives—including family members, guardians, or lawyers—to lodge formal complaints directly with the Nigerian Police, the Attorney-General, or an institution’s Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committee.
All tertiary institutions are now required to establish such committees with full authority to investigate and make final decisions on reported cases. Once a matter proceeds to court, internal panels must cease handling the case to prevent jurisdictional overlap.
For years, Nigerian universities and colleges have been plagued by sex-for-grades scandals, many of which ended without accountability. The Senate’s move, analysts say, signals a new era of zero tolerance for sexual abuse in the nation’s academic institutions.
