The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday made a bold move to restore integrity to the nation’s higher education system, approving a landmark law prescribing up to 14 years imprisonment for lecturers found guilty of sexually harassing students.
The passage of the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s decades-long struggle to confront the pervasive “sex-for-grades” culture that has plagued universities and colleges across the country.
Moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), the bill aims to dismantle what he called a “culture of coercion and silence” that has eroded trust between educators and their students.
“This law safeguards the sanctity of the student-educator relationship built on authority, dependency, and trust,” Bamidele told lawmakers. “It ensures that no educator ever uses that trust as a weapon of exploitation again.”
Under the new Act, offenders convicted of sexual harassment face a minimum of five years and up to 14 years imprisonment, with no option of fine. Related offences attract between two and five years in prison, also without a fine.
The law clearly defines what constitutes sexual harassment, including demanding or coercing sex from a student, making unwelcome sexual advances, sending explicit messages, stalking, unwanted touching, or creating a hostile academic environment.
It also criminalizes aiding or abetting such acts, ensuring accountability even for indirect complicity.
Significantly, the Act removes the defence of consent, stating unequivocally that “it shall not be a defence that a student consented”—except in cases of a legally recognized marriage between both parties.
Victims, their families, or legal representatives can now file complaints directly to the Nigerian Police Force, the Attorney-General, or an institution’s Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committee, which all tertiary institutions are now mandated to establish.
These committees will investigate and make decisions on cases, although once a case proceeds to court, internal panels must stand down to prevent jurisdictional conflict.
The bill sparked robust debate on the Senate floor. Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) supported the legislation but urged lawmakers to broaden its reach.
“There is no need to restrict this law to students,” Oshiomhole said. “Sexual harassment exists everywhere — in workplaces, offices, and even politics. We should give this bill universal application.”
Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) clarified that because the bill originated from the House of Representatives, substantive amendments could not be introduced. He added that existing labour laws already address workplace harassment, while this Act specifically targets academic institutions where abuse of power has been most rampant.
The bill’s passage comes after years of public outcry and investigative exposes revealing how some lecturers demand sexual favours from students in exchange for grades or academic support.
Analysts say the Senate’s decision sends a strong message that the era of impunity is over.
“This law gives voice to the voiceless,” one female senator declared after the vote. “No student should ever have to trade dignity for a degree.”
With the concurrence now sealed, the legislation awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to become law — a move many believe will mark a turning point in the country’s moral and educational landscape.
If signed, the Act will not only protect students but also restore public trust in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, reinforcing the principle that education must be built on mentorship, not manipulation.
