(DDM) – The Nigerian Senate has approved a landmark bill prescribing a 14-year jail term and a minimum of five years imprisonment without the option of a fine for anyone found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions across the country.
According to Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), the bill, which seeks to curb the growing menace of sexual exploitation in Nigeria’s educational system, was passed on Wednesday after extensive deliberations and bipartisan support from lawmakers.
The legislation titled “A Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and for Related Matters” aims to provide a strong legal framework to protect students, particularly female undergraduates, from sexual abuse and coercion by lecturers and administrative staff.
The Senate’s decision follows years of advocacy by human rights groups, student unions, and gender-based organisations who have repeatedly called for stiffer penalties against sexual offenders in schools.
Under the new law, any educator, lecturer, or staff member found guilty of demanding sexual favours in exchange for grades, admissions, or other academic privileges will face a minimum of five years and a maximum of fourteen years imprisonment, without the option of paying a fine.
Sponsors of the bill argued that the existing legal provisions were too weak to deter offenders and failed to address the power imbalance between students and their lecturers.
Background checks by DDM show that the push for this legislation intensified after several public scandals, including the viral “Sex for Grades” documentary released by the BBC in 2019, which exposed widespread sexual misconduct among university lecturers in Nigeria and Ghana.
That documentary triggered national outrage, leading to the suspension and prosecution of several lecturers and prompting renewed legislative interest in protecting students from abuse.
During the plenary session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the bill’s passage as “a victory for Nigeria’s youth and a bold step toward restoring dignity to our classrooms.”
He noted that sexual harassment not only damages the academic environment but also destroys the confidence and aspirations of victims, many of whom abandon their studies due to fear or trauma.
Lawmakers also called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to establish independent reporting channels in all tertiary institutions to ensure that victims can safely report cases without fear of reprisal.
Gender rights activists who spoke to DDM welcomed the development, describing it as a long-overdue measure that could finally hold powerful lecturers accountable for sexual exploitation.
However, some civil society groups urged strict implementation, warning that without proper enforcement mechanisms, the law could end up as another symbolic gesture.
As the bill awaits presidential assent, Nigerians across social media have praised the Senate for taking a firm stand, expressing hope that it will deter predatory behavior and empower students to speak up against abuse.
The law, once enacted, will represent one of Nigeria’s toughest legal actions against sexual harassment in educational institutions.