ActionAid Nigeria has condemned in strong terms the gross violation of rights of female students by lecturers in tertiary institutions across the country.
The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi made the condemnation while speaking in Abuja in reaction to the recent revelation from reports produced by BBC Africa Eye.
Ene Obi said ActionAid Nigeria was dismayed by the sex scandal involving a senior lecturer of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, stating that the documentary did not only showcase sexual harrassment but other forms of verbal and physical abuse faced by female students.
She recalled that as an organization at the forefront of the protection of women and girls, in 2012, ActionAid Nigeria carried out a safe cities audit of selected Nigerian Universities, transport routes, market places and factory sites to ascertain the level of safety, ease of mobility and access to public services for women and girls.
According to her, their findings revealed that Nigerian Universities lacked gender specific mechanisms to tackle violence against female students and their perculiarities.
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“This is why we strongly advocated for The Sexual Harrasement in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill in 2016 which was passed by the 8th Senate but did not see the light of the day to become a law.”
She explained that the bill prescribed a 5-year jail term for lecturers and educators convicted for sexual harrassment of either male or female students and made provisions for lecturers and educators who may be falsely accused by their students to seek redress.
The NGO commended BBC Africa Eye for the report and encouraged more Nigerian journalists to carry out investigation that will amplify the voices of the vulnerable group particularly, women, children and young people.
While urging the 9th Senate to revisit the bill, ActionAid Nigeria also called on UNILAG authorities to activate due process to ensure that the full course of the law is taken to investigate and prosecute offenders.
The NGO also called on other Nigerian universities to take preventive measures and protect students particularly the female ones by setting up safety systems that protect survivors and encourage them to report and get justice.
ActionAid Nigeria is a social justice NGO working to combat poverty and all forms of injustice in Nigeria.
