The Nigerian Senate has passed a new legislation prescribing up to 14 years imprisonment for lecturers and other educators found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions.
The bill, titled Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597), was presented for concurrence by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, during Wednesday’s plenary.
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According to Senator Ashiru, the legislation was introduced to address the growing cases of lecturers soliciting sexual favours from students in exchange for grades, admission advantages, and other academic benefits. He noted that the bill provides a clear legal framework to curb such misconduct, promote ethical conduct, and protect the dignity of students.
He said the law seeks to uphold trust, authority, and respect within academic institutions while ensuring that offenders face strict consequences for their actions.
Under the new law, offences listed in Clauses 4 (1), (2), and (3) attract between five and fourteen years imprisonment without the option of a fine. Similarly, violations under Clauses 4 (4), (5), and (6) carry a minimum sentence of two years and a maximum of five years, also without an option of fine.
The bill also empowers victims to pursue civil action for breach of fiduciary duty, with the burden of proof consistent with other civil proceedings. Prohibited acts include soliciting or demanding sexual favours, unwanted advances, coercion, and inappropriate touching or gestures.
During deliberations, Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North called for the expansion of the bill’s provisions beyond educational institutions to cover workplaces and other environments, arguing that “there’s no justification to confine this law to students.”
However, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, explained that the bill was already passed by the House of Representatives and brought before the Senate only for concurrence. He added that existing laws already address workplace sexual harassment.
After due consideration, the Senate unanimously adopted and passed the bill for third reading.
