THE International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) has launched a new initiative aimed at addressing sexual harassment in Nigerian universities, especially among female students.
The project, titled “Empowering Female Students to Challenge Sexual Harassment in Nigerian Universities,” is being carried out as part of the organisation’s ongoing ‘Oga Lecturer Initiative’.
Funded by the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC) through its NGO Support Initiative (NSI), the project seeks to address a long-standing crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, including the exploitation of female students by academic staff in exchange for grades or academic favours.
The new phase of the ‘Oga Lecturer Initiative’ will focus on two universities in Abuja, where it will create safe reporting channels for survivors of sexual harassment while supporting peer-led advocacy on campus. Accordingly, the initiative will also provide training, tools, and direct engagement opportunities with university authorities to foster institutional reform.
“Sexual harassment is a global issue, but Nigerian universities have not done enough to address it,” The ICIR said in a statement.
“Weak reporting systems and limited accountability have allowed this culture to thrive unchecked,” it added.
According to The ICIR, the project is designed not only to expose harassment but also to equip students with the confidence and knowledge to challenge it.
Many female students have reported feeling silenced, ashamed, and vulnerable, often forced to make impossible choices between academic success and personal safety.
Through public awareness campaigns and student-centred empowerment, the project will push for stronger university policies and long-term structural change in how sexual misconduct is addressed within academic institutions.
“By empowering students and fostering campus-wide conversations, this project aims to break the silence and challenge the harmful power dynamics that have endured for too long,” the Centre said.
The ICIR has previously documented dozens of cases of sexual misconduct in higher education through the ‘Oga Lecturer Project’, and continues to push for transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s university system.
It would be recalled that in June 2025, the dRPC awarded a grant support of N85 million to The ICIR alongside 16 other nonprofit organisations recently affected by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international aid cuts.
In a similar vein, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA) in September 2023 honoured the dRPC for supporting the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy.
The award was based on the dPRC’s Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED) project, which aims at building sustainable advocacy around WEE interventions, said the then Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, while awarding a national medal of recognition to dPRC in Abuja.
“The recognition bestowed upon the dRPC-PAWED by the National Council on Women’s Affairs is a testament to their exceptional dedication and impact. It highlights the pivotal role of civil society organisations in driving positive change and transforming women’s lives in Nigeria,” Ohanenye stated.