Nigerian universities urged to expose sex offenders

Nigerian vice-chancellors have been urged by the government to do everything they can to stamp out sexual harassment in the country’s universities.

According to local media, Adamu Rasheed, the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, told the conference of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in Osun that sexual harassment was now a “major crisis” at universities across the country.

Earlier this year, three Nigerian universities were embroiled in sexual abuse scandals.

“The universities should be willing to punish and stamp out the incidents of sexual harassment, because [they are] damaging to our collective reputation; and we just have to do something,” he said. “Please say it and do it; and whenever you punish or sanction somebody in this regard, let your effort be duly publicised.”

Professor Rasheed said that he and the universities commission had been working on reforms to reduce corruption in the university system, particularly sexual harassment, the Daily Post reported.

“Let the world know that somebody has lost his or her job because of sexual harassment or somebody has been demoted from being a professor to lecturer because of sexually harassing a student,” he said.

anna.mckie@timeshighereducation.com