70% female, 30% male students suffer GBV in tertiary institutions — Report

2026-03-27 - 03:33

By Innocent Anaba A National Campus Climate Baseline Survey on Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria has disclosed that 70 percent of female students and 30 percent of male students have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence on campus. Acting Director, Centre for Response and Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, CRPSGBV, Prof. Igot Ofem, at a media briefing to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, themed “Rights, Justice, Actions for All Women and Girls,” at the Lagos State University, Ojo, yesterday, said the national campus survey, organised by the Committee of Gender Studies Directors in Nigerian Universities in partnership with Alliance for Africa, AfA, was conducted across 12 participating universities in the country. The survey was conducted in six federally owned and six state universities across the six geopolitical zones of the country by AfA in partnership with Co-Impact. Prof. Ofem said: “The survey explored multiple dimensions, including sexual harassment, dating violence and other forms of sexual misconduct, covering victimisation and perpetration, and assessed existing prevention efforts, support resources and institutional responses. “Key findings from the survey include that 70 percent of female students and 30 percent of male students have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence on campus. Also, 63 percent of female staff and 37 percent of male staff have experienced gender-based violence on campus. “Sexual misconduct, including unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, verbal abuse and stalking, is the most commonly reported form of harassment, affecting 42.2 percent of all respondents. “Students are being transferred between universities, losing academic privileges and being coerced into sexual exchanges for academic favour, while many survivors do not come forward due to a lack of trust in institutional reporting systems.” The report called on university authorities nationwide to establish independent sexual harassment response units, strengthen institutional policies and create confidential reporting channels to protect students and staff. Further, she said: “We appreciate our action-oriented Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, as she has fulfilled the call to action to universities. For example, LASU is the first to have a standard centre that is a safe space responding to GBV on campus. LASU has information on GBV embedded in the Students’ Handbook. The university has a functional Sexual Abuse and GBV Policy. We are also teaching GBV response and prevention as a General Nigerian Studies, GNS, course for current 200-level students,” she added. Meanwhile, LASU VC, Prof. Olatunji-Bello, in an address read on her behalf, said the theme of the event speaks directly to the core of the institution’s work and shared humanity. According to her, “Every woman and girl has a right to safety, dignity and mental wellbeing. Yet, most often, these girls are violated, sometimes without the victim realising it. And when an abuse comes to light, justice is delayed, leaving many survivors too afraid to speak up or report the abuse, due to fear of shame and stigma. “Justice goes beyond the law to providing an environment where survivors feel safe to speak and are taken seriously. So, our actions must be intentional to change these narratives. It is our collective responsibility; whether it is speaking up, supporting a survivor or raising awareness, we all have a role to play,” she added. Further, she said: “This reminds us that the rights of women and girls are not optional, not negotiable and not secondary; they are fundamental human rights that must be protected, respected and fulfilled in every space, including our university community.”