Gender Mobile Initiative Applauds Nigerian Senate on Passage of Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill, Calls for Swift Presidential Assent

On 5 November 2025, the Nigerian Senate passed the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB. 1597), a historic move to make campuses across the country safer. The bill, which introduces severe penalties for educators who sexually harass students, marks a critical milestone for student protection and institutional accountability.

Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI) commends this milestone and calls on the President to swiftly assent to the bill so its full protections can be enforced.

Omowumi Ogunrotimi, Executive Director of Gender Mobile Initiative, said:

“This is a monumental step in creating safer learning environments. Sexual harassment will no longer be tolerated, and offenders will face real consequences. But legislation alone isn’t enough, we need strong implementation and enforcement to make this a reality on campuses.”

The law prescribes up to 14 years in prison for serious offences, and 2–5 years for lesser offences, and there’s no option for a fine in either case. Importantly, in cases of educator-student harassment, student consent is not considered a valid defense, except in cases where the student and educator are legally married.

Institutions must now set up Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committees to investigate complaints. Once a criminal case begins, internal disciplinary investigations must pause to avoid conflict with criminal proceedings.

GMI has long supported campus safety through programs like the Campus Safety Initiative (CSI) and the CampusPal App, which provide students and institutions with tools to report harassment and ensure accountability.

The organisation reaffirms its commitment to working with schools, government, and civil society to ensure that the law is fully implemented. By combining new legal protections with strong prevention and reporting infrastructure, GMI aims to build campuses where every student can feel safe, respected, and free to learn.

“Safer campuses are not just a legal requirement, they are a moral imperative,” added Ogunrotimi. “Every student deserves an education free from fear. Together with our partners, we will continue to defend their dignity and rights.”