Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, revealed that the institution recently terminated the employment of two academic staff members due to allegations of sexual misconduct.
According to Punch, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the university has established a dedicated communication channel, allowing students to report incidents of sexual harassment and other unethical behaviors by professors.
Sexual harassment is a persistent problem in Nigerian educational institutions. A survey conducted in 2018 by the Women of the World Bank Group indicated that 70% of female graduates from higher education institutions in Nigeria experienced sexual harassment during their studies. The main perpetrators were identified as classmates and lecturers.
In 2021, the Senate passed a bill proposing a 21-year prison sentence for academics found guilty of sexual misconduct. Several sexual predators who were charged and convicted after the bill’s adoption were simply dismissed from their positions.
