By Emem Nsini-Godwin
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it is investigating allegations that a female undergraduate at a tertiary institution in Ondo State was coerced into a sexual relationship with her Head of Department in exchange for passing a compulsory course required for her graduation.
NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed the allegation in a statement issued on Friday, July 10, 2026, describing the incident as another example of the persistent problem of sexual exploitation facing female students in Nigeria’s higher institutions.
According to Akinteye, the student had only one outstanding course left before completing her degree. After failing the course for the second time, she reportedly approached the lecturer responsible for the course, who also served as her Head of Department, to seek clarification on why she had been unsuccessful.
The NANS president said the lecturer allegedly informed the student that she would never pass the course on merit. According to the account relayed to the association, subsequent meetings culminated in the lecturer allegedly demanding sexual favours in exchange for awarding her a passing grade.
Akinteye said the student claimed she eventually submitted to the lecturer’s demands inside his office because she believed she had exhausted every other option available to complete her studies.
According to NANS, the alleged harassment did not end after the encounter. The association said the lecturer allegedly contacted the student about a week later, repeatedly calling her and pressuring her to visit his residence, leading her to fear that additional sexual demands would be made before her academic records were finalised.
Concerned by the renewed contact, the student reportedly reached out to NANS for assistance.
Akinteye said the association initially considered making the allegation public but decided against doing so after the student pleaded that the matter remain confidential. According to him, she feared being identified and was primarily concerned with completing her academic programme without further intimidation or victimisation.
Instead, he said, NANS quietly engaged the management of the institution. According to Akinteye, within hours of the intervention, the student’s outstanding academic result was processed and released, effectively clearing her for graduation.
While expressing relief that the student’s academic issue had been resolved, the NANS president said he remained disturbed by her reluctance to formally identify the lecturer or pursue a public complaint. He argued that her fears reflected the wider climate of intimidation, stigma and possible retaliation that discourages many victims of alleged sexual harassment from speaking out.
He described the allegation as symptomatic of a broader challenge confronting tertiary institutions, insisting that no student should be compelled to exchange sexual favours for academic advancement.
“Our institutions of learning must remain safe spaces where students are assessed solely on merit and protected from all forms of exploitation,” Akinteye said, calling on school authorities to strengthen mechanisms for preventing and addressing sexual harassment.
NANS also urged female students experiencing harassment, coercion or exploitation by lecturers or other members of the academic community to report such incidents through the association’s National Director of Gender, assuring that all complaints would be treated confidentially and pursued appropriately.
The association did not disclose the identity of the institution, the lecturer or the student involved.
As of the time of filing this report, the allegations had not been independently verified. Efforts to obtain comments from the institution were unsuccessful because its identity was not disclosed, while the lecturer at the centre of the allegation has not publicly responded to the claims.
