The National Assembly has passed a historic legislation outlawing sexual harassment in Nigeria’s educational institutions, prescribing up to 14 years’ imprisonment for offenders, and stiff penalties for institutions that conceal such abuses.
The bill, titled, “A Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Educational Institutions and for Related Matters, 2025 (HB.1598),” seeks to eradicate all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse of authority by lecturers, administrators, and staff in schools.
The legislation, which had earlier been passed by the House of Representatives, was presented for concurrence in Senate by Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. It received overwhelming bipartisan support from senators during plenary.
Under the proposed law, any educator found guilty of sexually harassing a student faces between five and 14 years in prison without the option of a fine. Institutions or their heads that fail to act on reported cases may also face penalties of up to N5 million.
Bamidele explained that the bill was designed to protect students from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse within the academic environments while ensuring that offenders were held accountable through clear legal processes.
According to him, the legislation is a safeguard for the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system and the trust that must exist between educators and their students.
Clause 4 of the bill defined sexual harassment and spelt out punishments for specific offences. It listed acts, such as demanding sex from a student, having sexual intercourse with a student or prospective student, making sexual advances, whistling, winking, or making sexually flattering comments about a student’s body.
Other prohibited acts included sending sexually explicit messages, pictures, or videos to a student, or touching, hugging, and pinching intimate parts of a student’s body.
The bill further stipulated that consent could not be used as a defence where a sexual act occurred between an educator and a student, except in cases where the two were legally married.
It also introduced a provision empowering victims to seek civil redress. A student sexually harassed by an educator has the right to sue the educator for damages in addition to any criminal prosecution.
To ensure accountability, the bill mandated that complaints could be submitted by the affected student, the student’s guardian, lawyer, or anyone with interest in the student’s welfare.
However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, explained that Senate could not expand the scope since the bill originated from the House of Representatives and was presented for concurrence.
“We cannot make substantive amendments at this stage. Besides, there are existing laws that already address harassment in workplaces and other sectors,” Barau clarified.
Senator Lola Ashiru, Deputy Senate Leader, who stood in for Bamidele, lauded his colleagues for their unanimous support, describing the passage as a triumph for Nigerian students who for years have suffered silently under the menace of sex-for-grades.
“This law will not only punish offenders but also serve as a deterrent to those who have turned our campuses into predatory grounds. It restores dignity and discipline to our learning environments,” she said.
Sunday Aborisade
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