The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill prescribing up to 14 years imprisonment for educators convicted of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions.
The concurrence Bill, titled: “S3xual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597),” seeks to curb a persistent pattern of exploitation in Nigerian campuses, where students, especially women, are coerced into s3xual relationships in exchange for grades, admission, or other academic favors.
The bill, presented for concurrence by the Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), established clear legal standards to punish offenders and protect students from all forms of s3xual misconduct in schools.
According to the Senate, “Any person who commits any of the offences or acts specified in clause 4 (1), (2) and (3) of this Bill is guilty of an offence of felony and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to an imprisonment term of up to 14 years but not less than 5 years, without an option of a fine.
“(i) 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 states that a student who alleges harassment may also pursue a civil action for breach of fiduciary duty, and that the standard of proof shall be the same as in civil proceedings.
It outlines a wide range of offences, including demanding sexual favours, making sexual advances, inducing others to commit harassment, and unwanted touching or gestures.
Among other things, the new legislation adds that marriage between the educator and student is the only defence, and that consent shall not be considered a defence where an educator-student relationship exists.
Sexual harassment complaints may be filed by the student, relatives, guardians or any concerned party to the Police or Attorney-General, with copies also submitted to the institution’s Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committee,” it stated.
During the debate, representing Delta North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole argued that the legislation should also cover workplaces and other sectors.
“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 appealed.
The bill was thereafter adopted and passed for third reading. The passage comes amid a series of s3xual harassment scandals reported in universities across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Nsukka, Kano, Benin and Abuja, which have often gone unpunished due to fear of victimization, stigma, and opaque internal disciplinary systems.
Rights groups have hailed the move as a significant step toward ending impunity for s3xual abuse in academic institutions and empowering victims to seek justice without fear.