The Nigerian Senate has passed the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025, which prescribes a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment for educators found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions.
The bill, earlier approved by the House of Representatives, was presented for concurrence on Wednesday by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, who stood in for the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
Ashiru explained that the legislation aims to protect students from sexual misconduct and abuse within academic environments, while providing a clear legal framework for enforcement and punishment. He added that the bill seeks to uphold ethical standards in higher institutions and preserve the educator-student relationship built on trust, respect, and professional integrity
According to the bill, “any person who commits any of the offences or acts specified in clause 4 (1), (2) and (3) is guilty of an offence of felony and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of up to 14 years but not less than five years, without an option of fine.”
Similarly, offenders under clauses 4 (4), (5) and (6) will face imprisonment of between two and five years, also without the option of a fine.
The bill further allows any student alleging sexual harassment to institute civil proceedings for breach of fiduciary duty, with the standard of proof consistent with civil cases.
Outlined offences under the legislation include demanding or requesting sexual favours, making unwanted sexual advances, inducing others to commit acts of harassment, and engaging in inappropriate physical contact. The law provides that consent is not acceptable where a power imbalance exists, while marriage between an educator and a student may serve as the only defence.
The bill also specifies that complaints can be lodged by the student, a relative, guardian, or any concerned individual, with reports to be directed to the police, the attorney-general, or the institution’s independent sexual harassment prohibition committee.
During the plenary, some lawmakers called for an expansion of the bill’s scope beyond academic institutions.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC–Edo North) argued that sexual harassment is not limited to the academic environment and should also cover workplaces and other settings.
“We can use one stone to kill all the mad birds,” Oshiomhole said. “There is no need to limit sexual harassment to students. It should include workplaces and any other location, because the evil is the same.”
Supporting this view, Senator Titus Zam (APC–Benue North-West) said the bill appeared too restrictive, while Senator Anthony Ani (APC–Ebonyi South) noted that sexual harassment “is everywhere” and “goes both ways.”
However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, clarified that the bill was only before the Senate for concurrence, having already been passed by the House of Representatives. He added that existing laws already address workplace-related harassment.
The Senate subsequently adopted the report and passed the bill for third reading, marking a significant legislative step towards curbing sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
