The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has passed the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597), proposing prison terms of up to 14 years for educators found guilty of sexually harassing students in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The bill, which was presented by Sen. Oyelola Ashiru, Deputy Senate Leader during Wednesday’s plenary, seeks to address recurring reports of lecturers coercing students for grades, admission advantages or other academic favours.
According to Sen. Ashiru, the bill was introduced to ensure students are protected from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse within academic settings.
He said it was 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.
It also aims to establish clear legal frameworks for enforcement and punishment of offenders.
Provisions and penalties
Under the bill:
Any person who commits offences specified in Clause 4 (1), (2) and (3) is liable on conviction to up to 14 years imprisonment, with a minimum of five years, and no option of a fine.
Those found guilty of offences under Clause 4 (4), (5) and (6) face imprisonment of up to 5 years, but not less than two years, again with no fine option.
“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.”
The bill further allows a student who alleges harassment to initiate a civil action for breach of fiduciary duty; in such cases the standard of proof will mirror that of civil proceedings. The offences outlined include demanding sexual favours, making sexual advances, inducing others to commit harassment, unwanted touching, or sexual gestures.
Parliamentary debate and scope concerns
During the plenary debate, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) urged that the bill’s scope be broadened.
“There is no need to restrict sexual harassment issues to students. We should craft this law in a way that gives it universal application,” he argued.
In contrast, Sen. Jibrin Barau, Deputy Senate President, pointed out that the bill had already passed the House of Representatives and was now before the Senate for concurrence. He noted that existing workplace harassment laws already cover non‑academic environments.
What you should know
Sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary institutions has long been a pervasive issue. A 2018 World Bank Group survey revealed that 70% of female graduates from Nigerian tertiary institutions had experienced sexual harassment from classmates and instructors.
“In Nigeria, 70 percent of female graduates from a sample of tertiary institutions reported having been sexually harassed, with the main perpetrators being classmates and lecturers. The effects experienced by victims were depression and perceived insecurity on campus,” they reported.
According to the survey, sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual behavior that affects an individual’s employment, education, living environment, or participation in a community.
