A new baseline survey shows that 70% of female students and 30% of male students in Nigerian public universities have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) on campus. Among staff, 63% of women and 37% of men reported similar harassment.
The study, conducted by Alliances for Africa (AfA) with Kaduna State University’s Centre for Gender Studies, covered six states and six federal universities. Sexual misconduct—ranging from unwanted touching, verbal abuse, inappropriate comments, to stalking—was the most common form, reported by 42% of respondents. Some students even faced coercion for grades or privileges, while many survivors remain silent due to fear of retaliation and weak institutional reporting systems.
Professor Hauwa Evelyn Yusuf highlighted the systemic crisis and urged universities to create independent harassment response units, enforce policies, and provide safe reporting mechanisms. The report also called on the National Universities Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education, and state governments to fund programs supporting survivors and prevention initiatives.
Dr Deborah Bijimi of KASU explained that the survey is part of a five-year AfA-Co Impact programme (2023–2028) aimed at eradicating sexual harassment, creating safer campuses, and informing policy.
The survey’s findings now serve as a baseline to track progress and guide systemic change across Nigeria’s public higher education institutions.
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