Senate passes bill imposing 14 years jail term for sexual harassment in universities

The Senate has passed a bill that prescribes a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment for lecturers and other academic staff found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions.

The bill, titled Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025, scaled concurrence on Wednesday after Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) presented it for consideration.

Bamidele said the legislation seeks to protect students from predators in academic environments and strengthen ethical conduct within the university system. He noted that the bill also recognises the power imbalance between lecturers and students, which often deters victims from speaking out.

Under the law, offenders who solicit sexual favours or make unwanted sexual advances to students face between five and fourteen years in prison, without the option of a fine. Lesser offences such as inappropriate comments or gestures are punishable by two to five years imprisonment, also without the option of a fine.

The bill also allows victims to seek civil damages for breach of trust, while explicitly stating that “consent shall not be a defence” in a lecturer-student relationship, except where marriage already exists.

During debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) argued that sexual harassment laws should be extended beyond academic spaces to workplaces and public institutions. However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin ruled that the bill was limited to concurrence and that other laws already address harassment in non-school settings.

The bill’s passage follows years of public outcry over widespread sexual exploitation on campuses, highlighted by the 2019 “sex-for-grades” investigation which exposed serial abuse in multiple universities.

Women’s rights organisations and student groups have welcomed the passage as a major step toward accountability, though many say effective enforcement will depend on strong reporting systems and protection for whistle-blowers.

The bill now awaits transmission to the President for assent.