Over the past five years, media analysis by Saving Point Media reveals that 39 lecturers across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have faced dismissal due to sexual misconduct.
Sexual harassment remains a persistent issue in Nigerian higher education, with a 2018 survey by the World Bank Group’s Women showing that 70% of female graduates from tertiary institutions in the country experienced harassment, primarily by classmates and lecturers.
Despite the Senate passing a bill in 2021 proposing 21 years imprisonment for guilty lecturers, most of those found culpable post-bill passage were simply dismissed from their positions.
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Instances of dismissal include:
- In April 2018, Obafemi Awolowo University suspended a professor over sexual harassment.
- In 2021, OAU dismissed three lecturers for sexual harassment.
- In February 2020, a lecturer at the Centre for Distance Learning, OAU, was suspended for sexual misconduct.
- In 2019, Ambrose Ali University suspended an associate professor over harassment allegations.
- In 2020, Imo State University suspended two lecturers for sexual misconduct.
- In 2021, University of Nigeria, Nsukka suspended a lecturer over sexual misconduct.
- In 2022, University of Port Harcourt dismissed a lecturer for sexual misconduct.
- In 2021, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi dismissed two lecturers for sexual misconduct.
- Ignatius Ajuru University of Education dismissed a lecturer for impregnating a student.
- In December 2021, Kwara State University dismissed a lecturer for harassment.
- In January 2022, Elechi Amadi Polytechnic dismissed a lecturer for harassment.
- In April 2022, OAU launched a probe into harassment allegations against a professor.
- University of Abuja dismissed two professors for sexual misconduct.
- In 2023, ICPC arraigned a lecturer for allegedly demanding sexual gratification.
- Kogi State Polytechnic dismissed a lecturer for harassment.
- Ambrose Alli University dismissed a lecturer over harassment.
- University of Calabar suspended a dean over harassment allegations.
- University of Lagos suspended a lecturer accused of rape.
- In October 2023, Federal College of Forestry suspended four lecturers for harassment.
Calls for President Bola Tinubu to sign the sexual harassment bill into law are growing to ensure school safety and support for survivors of misconduct.
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