Senate passes bill prescribing 14-year jail term for sexual harassment in tertiary institutions
The Senate has approved a maximum of 14 years imprisonment and a minimum of five years without the option of fine for anyone found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions across the country.
The upper legislative chamber, on Tuesday, passed for third reading a bill seeking to prevent and prohibit sexual harassment of students in educational institutions and other learning environments.
The bill, titled Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597), was presented for concurrence by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).
Bamidele explained that the bill was designed to protect students from all forms of sexual misconduct and abuse within academic environments while providing a clear legal framework for enforcement and punishment of offenders.
According to him, “The Bill is enacted to promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary education, the sanctity of the student-educator relationship of authority, dependency, and trust, and respect for human dignity in educational institutions.”
The Senate stated that any person who commits any of the offences specified in the bill shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, face a prison term of up to 14 years but not less than five years, without the option of a fine.
It also provides that offenders guilty of lesser offences under other clauses of the bill will be liable to a jail term of up to five years but not less than two years, also without the option of a fine.
The legislation further allows students or their representatives to initiate civil actions in court for breach of fiduciary duty in cases of sexual harassment by educators.
The bill also makes provisions for institutions to handle disciplinary measures internally but bars any disciplinary body from continuing such proceedings if a criminal case on the same matter is already pending in court.
It defines sexual harassment to include: “Grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, or touching the breasts, hair, lips, hips, or any other sensual part of the body of a woman; displaying, giving, or sending sexually explicit pictures or materials; whistling, winking, making sexual remarks, or stalking a student.”
The bill clarifies that “It shall not be a defence that a student consented to any offence,” except where both the educator and student are legally married.
According to the bill, complaints of sexual harassment can be filed in writing by the affected student, a relative, guardian, or lawyer to the Nigeria Police Force or the Attorney-General, with copies sent to the Independent Sexual Harassment Committee of the concerned institution.
During the debate, some lawmakers applauded the bill but called for its expansion beyond the education sector.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said the legislation should not be limited to students alone, stressing that “there is no need to restrict sexual harassment issues to students. We should craft this law in a way that gives it universal application.”
However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who presided over the session, clarified that the bill was a concurrence from the House of Representatives and could not be subjected to major alterations.
He added that there are already existing laws addressing sexual harassment in workplaces and other institutions.
After brief deliberations, the Senate unanimously passed the bill for third reading, describing it as a crucial step toward ending sexual abuse and protecting the rights of students in Nigerian tertiary institutions.