Kehinde Fajobi
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at tackling sexual harassment in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, proposing stringent penalties for offenders.
This includes up to 14 years imprisonment for educators found guilty of harassment and sanctions for institutional heads who fail to act on student complaints.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit, and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and Related Matters,” was championed by House spokesperson Akin Rotimi, who addressed journalists on its purpose.
“It is enacted to promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary education, the sanctity of the student-educator fiduciary relationship of authority, dependency, and trust, and respect for human dignity in tertiary educational institutions,” Rotimi explained.
Rotimi outlined the bill’s intent to “provide for the protection of students against sexual harassment by educators in tertiary educational institutions,” while also aiming for the “prevention of sexual harassment of students by educators” and ensuring there is a structured approach to redress complaints.
Under the proposed legislation, a range of actions would constitute sexual harassment offences.
These include any unwelcome physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature with a student, even if consensual; creating a hostile environment through inappropriate sexual advances or requests for sexual favours; encouraging others to engage in harassment.
Distributing explicit material to a student; making degrading remarks about a student’s appearance; and engaging in stalking or unwanted attention that causes discomfort are also offences to be charged under the new bill.
The bill specifies that “any person who commits any of the offences or acts specified in clause 4 (1), (2) and (3) is guilty of a felony and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to an imprisonment term of up to 14 years but not less than five years, without an option of a fine.”
Additionally, heads of institutions who fail to address harassment complaints are also liable.
The bill stipulates that such leaders “are guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a minimum fine of N5m or imprisonment for 5 years, or both.”
Lesser offences outlined in other sections of the bill carry sentences of up to five years imprisonment, with no option for a fine.
The bill aims to establish a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment in higher education, upholding standards of trust and respect between students and educators.