The African University of Science and Technology (AUST) and the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) have built the capacity of students and staff on sexual harassment prevention and safeguarding.
Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, President of AUST, made this known at the RSIF Refresher Workshop on “Preventing Sexual Harassment and Grievance Redress Mechanisms” on Wednesday in Abuja.
Onwualu said the workshop aims to strengthen the culture of safety, awareness, accountability and support while reaffirming the university’s zero-tolerance policy and commitment to creating a safe academic environment for students and staff.
He said: “The message we are giving is that in any environment like this, where you have males and females at different levels—some lecturers, some administrative staff, some laboratory personnel, and students—issues of sexual harassment can arise.
“The essence of the workshop is to reinforce to everyone that there are rules of engagement and regulations to prevent situations where students may be vulnerable or staff could take advantage.
“So, the goal is to ensure that such incidents do not occur, and if they do, that they are properly addressed.”
Onwualu noted that the university comprises students and lecturers from across Africa and the world, making adherence to the university’s gender and sexual harassment policies critical.
The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences and Engineering (PASET), a World Bank programme that sends PhD students from across Africa to AUST.
He added: “Part of what the students and staff came to see is to ensure we have a robust environment that addresses sexual harassment to the point of aiming for zero incidents. More importantly, when incidents occur, both students and staff must have an effective redress mechanism so they can report harassment and have it properly addressed.”
Also speaking, Dr. Evelyn Nguku, Head of the Integrated Capacity Building Platform at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), said the organization supports students pursuing doctoral studies and prioritises safe university environments.
Nguku, who is also the Capacity Building Specialist for RSIF, explained that the training is important for students, supervisors, and the wider academic community to enhance productivity.
“If this environment is safe, their productivity and the quality of their PhDs improve because they are supported in all aspects to undertake their research,” she said.
Bonfire Nyagah, Capacity Building and Safeguarding Specialist at icipe, said the workshop aimed to spark honest conversations about recognizing, reporting, and addressing harassment in academic spaces.
“Safeguarding protects scholarship recipients and faculty from harassment or gender-based violence. We want participants to understand what harassment looks like and what to do when it happens within the law and university policies,” he said.
Nyagah warned that society often normalizes harmful behaviors.
“Sometimes someone is being sexually harassed but perceives it as compliments. We want people to recognize when it is happening and respond appropriately,” he added, praising AUST’s leadership for taking a firm stand on enforcing safeguarding rules.
