Sexual Harassment Bill: Nigerian Senate Approves 14-Year Jail Term for Lecturers
The Nigerian Senate has taken a decisive step toward cleaning up tertiary education, passing a bill that introduces severe penalties—up to 14 years in prison—for lecturers and educators found guilty of sexually harassing students.
The bill, titled the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597), seeks to dismantle the pervasive culture of lecturers coercing students for grades, admission advantages, or other academic favors that has long plagued Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
Landmark Penalties and Prison Terms
The legislation, presented by Deputy Senate Leader Sen. Oyelola Ashiru, aims to promote and protect ethical standards and restore the sanctity of the student-educator relationship. It establishes clear, tough legal frameworks for enforcement and punishment, eliminating the possibility of financial settlements for severe offenses.
Under the bill’s provisions, penalties for offenders are structured by the severity of the offense:
Most Severe Offenses (Clause 4 (1), (2), and (3)): Individuals found guilty face a maximum of 14 years imprisonment, with a non-negotiable minimum of five years. There is no option of a fine for these crimes.
Other Offences (Clause 4 (4), (5), and (6)): Perpetrators face a prison term of up to five years, with a minimum of two years, also without the option of a fine.
The specified offenses include demanding sexual favors, making unwanted sexual advances, inducing others to commit harassment, unwanted touching, and sexual gestures. Furthermore, the bill allows affected students to initiate a civil action for breach of fiduciary duty, expanding avenues for justice beyond criminal prosecution.
Why the Tough Stance is Necessary
The need for this stringent law is underlined by grim statistics that have long been a national embarrassment. A 2018 survey by the World Bank Group revealed that a staggering 70% of female graduates from a sample of Nigerian tertiary institutions reported having been sexually harassed by classmates and instructors.
These incidents often lead to severe negative effects on victims, including depression and feelings of insecurity on campus. By instituting jail terms without fine options, the Senate is sending an unequivocal message that academic positions will no longer serve as shields for predatory behavior.
Parliamentary Debate on Scope
During the plenary session, the scope of the bill became a point of discussion. Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) argued that the law should be broadened to have “universal application,” covering all forms of sexual harassment beyond the student-educator relationship.
However, the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Jibrin Barau, noted that existing legislation already covers non-academic workplace harassment, and the immediate focus must remain on providing a clear, targeted defense for students in tertiary institutions, especially since the bill had already passed the House of Representatives and was up for concurrence.
The passing of this bill is widely regarded as a critical step toward creating a safer, more credible academic environment and holding educators to the highest standards of professional conduct.
This law marks a clear line in the sand. Do you think the 14-year maximum sentence is an adequate deterrent, or should the government also focus on mandatory psychological evaluation and deregistration for convicted educators?
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp:NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
