On campuses in Nigeria, a culture of silence makes female students vulnerable to sexual violence

In many Nigerian universities, sexual harassment involving female students and male lecturers is no longer hidden. This has become one of those problems that many people know about, but very few are willing to face openly.
And behind that silence, almost every campus has its version. A lecturer who insists on holding unnecessary private meetings. A student who is indirectly made to feel that his grade depends on his level of cooperation. A young woman suddenly starts avoiding courses because the learning environment no longer feels safe.

However, silence remains the most common response.

The truth is simple. In a lecturer-student relationship, power is never equal. Professors control students’ grades, assessments, recommendations, and sometimes even their academic future. The imbalance itself makes it difficult to speak out as many students already do
understand what they stand to lose.
So they stay silent not because they don’t know what’s wrong, but because speaking out can feel like risking everything they’ve worked for.

Research at Nigerian universities shows how widespread this problem is. A report published by University World News in November 2024 revealed that almost 63 percent of university students had experienced sexual harassment from lecturers or fellow students.
Although this problem has become commonplace, there is still no strong legal framework to address it.

The Prohibition of Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Bill passed by the Nigerian Senate in 2019 recommends up to 14 years
prison sentences for violators, but it is still not a law.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari left office in 2023 without signing the bill, and the bill is still pending under the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Meanwhile, students continue to face the same reality on campuses across the country.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have repeatedly warned that these delays will foster a culture where violators believe they will never face serious consequences.
As a result, many students no longer trust the system enough to report cases.
Because beyond the harassment itself, there is always the fear of the following things: Failing a course, repeating a semester, being targeted by a major, or being considered troublesome.

One of the cases that pushed this issue into national conversation was the case of Monica Osagie at Obafemi Awolowo University. He accused a lecturer of demanding sexual favors in exchange for grades. A recording of the phone conversation later emerged online and sparked national outrage.
The lecturer was finally disciplined.
But this case reveals something deeper. This reveals how far some students are pushed before they feel safe enough to speak, and how much evidence is often required before they feel safe enough to speak
believed.

And not all victims have evidence. That’s why many stories never leave the dorm room.
Even when anonymity is promised, students are still hesitant. In close academic settings, identity can often be guessed through small details such as time of day, major, or context. So they remained silent. And that silence still protects the problem.

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Another concern is how institutions sometimes handle these cases after they are reported. In many situations, protecting the school’s image seems more important than confronting the harassment itself.
Complaints may be delayed, resolved quietly, or ignored altogether. In some cases, the influence of senior staff influenced the extent to which the investigation was conducted.
Students notice these patterns. And once they do, reporting starts to feel pointless. The message became clear. Nothing will change.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim, also acknowledged in 2024 that sexual harassment leaves deep emotional and psychological scars for its survivors. However, the support system is still limited. Even though previously there were 47 referrals for sexual harassment
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (SARCs) in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the number now increased to about 50 in 24 states and the FCT, provide free treatment, counseling and health services.
legal support for survivors of sexual violence. Apart from institutions, society itself also plays a role in maintaining silence regarding sexual harassment.

When a case becomes public, attention often shifts from the abuse of power to the victim.
Questions about what he was wearing, why he went to the office, or whether he encouraged the situation still arise.
And once the blame shifts to the victim, the real problem gets buried.
That alone was enough to stop many students from speaking up.
Some people still consider sexual harassment to be excessive, or assume that students sometimes invite it. However, the consistency of reports at various universities shows that this is not just an incident.
It’s a pattern.

And this has been ignored for too long.
The sad reality is that sexual harassment in lecturer-student relationships has become so commonplace that many people now talk about it as if it were just part of campus life.
But that’s not normal. And this should not be considered normal.
Behind these statistics are real students who are still attending lectures, turning in assignments, and sitting in classrooms carrying fears they rarely talk about.

Until universities start taking complaints seriously, until reporting systems truly protect victims, and until society stops blaming students and abuses power, silence will continue to protect the problem rather than solve it.
And in this silence, more and more students will continue to suffer underreported consequences.

By: Suleiman Jumain Shuaibat