No fewer than 18 lecturers in the nation’s tertiary institutions have been indicted and dismissed over sexual misconduct in one year, analysis of media reports has revealed.
The issue of sexual harassment has been recurring in Nigerian institutions with a survey conducted in 2018 by the World Bank Group’s Women revealing that 70 per cent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria were sexually harassed in school, with the main perpetrators being classmates or lecturers.
Though the Senate had in 2021 passed a bill that randy lecturers should be subject to 21 years imprisonment, most of the lecturers indicted and found guilty after the bill was passed were simply sacked.
According to the reports, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife topped the list of institutions with the highest number of lecturers indicted for sexual misconduct.
In 2021, OAU dismissed three lecturers from the Departments of English Language, International Relations and Accounting over sexual harassment of students.
The Kaduna State University, in January 2021, announced the dismissal of a lecturer in the Department of Geography for sexually assaulting a student.
The Rivers State College of Health, Science and Management Technology suspended a lecturer for three months for sexually harassing a 100 level female student.
The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti suspended a lecturer in the Department of Media and Theatre Art in June 2021 for sexual misconduct.
That same month, the management of the University of Lagos announced the dismissal of two lecturers over similar offence.
In August that same year, the University of Port-Harcourt announced the dismissal of a lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature over sexual misconduct.
In October 2021, the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi also announced the dismissal of two lecturers from the Departments of Nutrition/Dietetics and General Studies over sexual misconduct.
A lecturer from the Department of Sociology, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education was dismissed for impregnating a female student.
In December 2021, the Kwara State University, Malete announced the dismissal of a lecturer for harassing a student in the Department of Pure and Applied Sciences.
In January 2022, Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rivers State announced the dismissal of a lecturer for harassing a female student.
In June 2022, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Abdul-Raheed Na’allah, announced the dismissal of two lecturers for sexual misconduct.
