A baseline survey on sexual harassment in Nigerian public tertiary institutions has revealed that 70 per cent of female students and 30 per cent of male students have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence (GBV) on campus.
Meanwhile, 63 per cent of female staff and 37 per cent of male staff reported similar experiences.
The findings were presented during the unveiling of the report conducted by Alliances for Africa (AfA) in collaboration with the Centre for Gender Studies, Kaduna State University (KASU), as part of activities marking International Women’s Day 2026.
Presenting the report, a Professor of Criminology and Gender Studies at KASU, Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf, described the findings as evidence of a systemic crisis that has persisted for years amid institutional silence.
She noted that the survey was conducted across six states and six federal public universities, representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
According to her, the study provides one of the most comprehensive empirical assessments of the scale and nature of GBV in Nigerian higher education institutions.
Professor Yusuf added that “sexual misconduct, including unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, verbal abuse, and stalking, was identified as the most common form of harassment by 42.2 per cent of respondents.”
She explained that the figures represent thousands of students who enter universities in search of knowledge and opportunities but instead encounter harassment, coercion and silence.
Yusuf further noted that some students reported being coerced into sexual exchanges for academic grades and privileges, while others faced threats for refusing such advances.
According to her, many survivors do not report their experiences due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutional processes, and the absence of confidential reporting channels.
She therefore called on vice-chancellors of universities to urgently establish independent sexual harassment response units, enforce institutional policies and create safe reporting mechanisms.
Yusuf also urged the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Federal Ministry of Education, and state governments to introduce policies that would protect students and staff, while providing funding for survivor support and prevention programmes.
Also speaking, the Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, Deborah Bijimi, disclosed that AfA, in partnership with Co-Impact, had launched a five-year programme running from January 2023 to December 2028 to address sexual harassment in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
She explained that the National Campus Climate Baseline Survey was conducted across 12 participating universities in partnership with their respective Centres for Gender Studies to collate data on sexual harassment.
“The project aims to generate critical data to better understand the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment on students and staff,” she added.
Credit: NAN
