Illustration by Minority Africa, used with permission.

This story was written by Shereefdeen Ahmad and originally published by Minority Africa on October 24, 2024. An edited version is republished below as part of a content-sharing agreement.

Hajiya*, a student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Nigeria, decided to take a break from her late-night study session in one of the classes on campus. She stepped outside, found a secluded area, and sat on a long metal bench, chatting with a male friend at the other end. When they noticed a school security officer had seen them, Hajiya’s friend quickly left to avoid unwarranted insinuations. At their university, late-night interactions between men and women were often scrutinised because of the institution's Islamic principles.

To Hajiya’s shock, the security officer approached her and accused her of having sex with her friend and demanded sexual favours in exchange for his silence.

“I engaged him in a mature way, but he insisted on taking me to the security office unless I did what he caught me doing with the guy. He didn’t see us doing anything as we were just talking as friends,” Hajiya recounted to Minority Africa. “He started touching every part of my body. He held my hands, dragging me to a very secluded area, until I started shouting for help before he let go of me.”

Despite being a campus journalist, Hajiya chose not to report the incident. She doubted the university’s commitment to justice. “And the fact that I was in the dark with a guy won’t stay out of the story,” she said. “Whatever the case, harassment is harassment; what led to it does not matter. I never believed I could keep silent about it because it happened to me in the most unexpected way. Most of us also keep silent because of stigma.”

Hajiya’s fears are not unfounded. A 2018 World Bank survey revealed that 70 per cent of women graduates from Nigerian tertiary institutions had faced sexual harassment from fellow students and lecturers. The survey, conducted in 19 tertiary institutions across six states, highlighted a lack of clear reporting channels as a major barrier to reporting such incidents.

In 2022, Minister of Women Affairs Pauline Tallen said that, of over 11,000 recorded rape cases in Nigeria, only 33 culprits had been convicted. She attributed this dismal statistic to harmful cultural stereotypes, ineffective law enforcement, toxic misogyny, and insufficient support for survivors.

Despite ongoing sexual harassment issues in schools and other places in Nigeria, a bill introduced in 2016 to criminalise sexual harassment, particularly in tertiary institutions, has languished in the National Assembly for eight years.

Frank Ijege, a legal practitioner with the Bridges and Hands Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that promotes human rights, child rights, transparency, and accountability, criticised the Assembly’s lack of urgency in an interview with Minority Africa.  “The National Assembly is not giving the deserved attention to the issue of sexual harassment. That is why the bill has been there for eight years.”

He advised that non-governmental organizations and student bodies need to sustain dialogue with the National Assembly to push the enactment of the bill.

To combat the culture of silence, Oga Lecturer, a project by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), aims to document and amplify stories of sexual harassment in higher institutions.

“We started by putting out a survey on our social media platforms to know the prevalence of sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary institutions, and from the feedback we had, we realised that it was a big challenge, particularly by male lecturers,” said Dayo Aiyetan, ICIR’s executive director.  

“So, we decided to find a way of using the media to solve the problem, and if not to solve the problem, to put a searchlight on the problem and bring it to the front burner for discussion, do some reporting around it to proffer solutions to the victims,” he added.

Founded in 2016, Oga Lecturer encourages victims and witnesses to report incidents, which are then made public via Oga Lecturer’s website and social media platforms, pushing the relevant authorities to take action. “We provide a platform on the Oga Lecturer website where — whether you are a student, a lecturer, or any member of the tertiary institution community who has any issue around sexual harassment — they can reach us and tell their stories,” Aiyetan said. “We investigate the stories because we use them as sources or whistleblowers and then publish the stories.”

Recognising that publication alone does not guarantee justice, Aiyetan noted that they follow up with university authorities and stakeholders to support victims. However, he lamented the lackadaisical attitude on the part of the school authorities to punish lecturers who have been indicted for sexual harassment.

“You publish a story about a perpetrator, and you see that nothing is being done to that person, which puts the victim in a dangerous position because she can be victimised,” Ijeoma Opara, a journalist with Oga Lecturer, explained.

To protect their sources, Oga Lecturer maintains confidentiality. “Anybody who has spoken to us did so in strict confidentiality. We don’t reveal our sources to anybody because of the sensitivity of sexual harassment,” Aiyetan emphasised.

Between 2018 and 2023, no fewer than 43 lecturers were accused or indicted for sexual harassment. Many of these cases were swept under the carpet, with only a few lecturers suspended or dismissed. Oga Lecturer continually reports on ignored cases to keep authorities accountable.

For instance, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, suspended Dr Chigozie Odum, a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Tourism, over sexual misconduct allegations. Similarly, the Federal College of Forestry, Plateau State, suspended four lecturers for harassing female students. Oga Lecturer played a crucial role in the suspension of Cyril Ndifon, a lecturer at the University of Calabar, following allegations from multiple female students.

Aiyetan said that because it is difficult to effectively get justice for victims and sources who speak out, the ICIR aims to redesign the Oga Lecturer project.

Hajiya reflected on her experience, wishing she had known about Oga Lecturer. “Using the media to expose sexual harassment can amplify marginalised voices, raise awareness, and prevent future incidents. It’s a powerful tool for justice and accountability,” she said.

*Name has been changed to protect identities.