A baseline survey on sexual harassment in Nigerian public tertiary institutions has revealed that 70 per cent of female students and 30 per cent of male students have experienced at least one form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) on campus.
The survey also showed that 63 per cent of female staff and 37 per cent of male staff reported similar experiences.
The findings were presented during the unveiling of the report conducted by the Alliances for Africa (AfA) in collaboration with the Centre for Gender Studies, Kaduna State University as part of activities marking International Women’s Day 2026.
Presenting the report, a Professor of Criminology and Gender Studies at Kaduna State University, Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf, described the findings as evidence of a systemic crisis that had persisted for years under institutional silence.
Yusuf, who was represented by Dr Bilkisu Yusuf of the centre, said the survey was conducted across six states and six federal public universities covering the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
According to her, the study provides some of the most comprehensive empirical evidence on the scale and nature of GBV in Nigerian higher education.
She added that sexual misconduct — including unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, verbal abuse and stalking — was identified as the most common form of harassment by 42.2 per cent of respondents.
Yusuf said the figures represent thousands of students who enter universities in search of knowledge and opportunities but instead encounter harassment, coercion and silence.
“This data makes one thing undeniable: Nigeria’s universities are not safe, and that needs to change,” she said.
She noted that some students reported being coerced into sexual exchanges for academic grades and privileges, while others faced threats for refusing advances.
According to her, many survivors do not report their experiences due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutional processes and the absence of confidential reporting channels.
Yusuf called on vice chancellors of universities to urgently establish independent sexual harassment response units, enforce institutional policies and create safe reporting mechanisms.
She also urged the National Universities Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria and state governments to introduce policies that would protect students and staff, as well as provide funding for survivor support and prevention programmes.
In her welcome address, Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, Dr Deborah Bijimi, said AfA, in partnership with Co-Impact, had launched a five-year programme from January 2023 to December 2028 to address sexual harassment in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
Bijimi explained that the National Campus Climate Baseline Survey was conducted across 12 participating universities in partnership with their respective Centres for Gender Studies.
She said the project aims to generate critical data to better understand the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment on students and staff.
“Our goal is to create safer educational environments by informing policies and interventions that protect and empower students,” she said.
According to her, the initiative also seeks to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence while encouraging institutions to take concrete actions toward systemic change.
The Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof. Abdullahi Musa, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategy, Innovation and Service Delivery), Prof. Helen Andow, assured that the institution would explore ways of collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure that policy indicators are implemented in the university.
He thanked the centre and AfA for conducting the survey, describing it as an eye-opener not just for KASU but for public universities across the country.
It was reported that the survey forms the foundation of AfA’s five-year programme designed to eradicate sexual harassment in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
The data will serve as a baseline for measuring institutional and policy progress, which will be publicly reported over the course of the programme.
