By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
A legal expert and gender rights advocate, Ndidi Anike Val-Okeoma, Esq., has called for stronger legal frameworks, institutional policies, and accountability mechanisms to tackle sexual harassment and gender-based violence in Nigerian universities as part of efforts to fully implement the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, popularly known as the Maputo Protocol.
She made the call while delivering the keynote address titled “Twenty-Three Years of the Maputo Protocol: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward” during a university policy dialogue commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the Maputo Protocol, held at Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri. The event was organized by Alliances for Africa (AfA) in collaboration with the Centre for Gender Studies, IMSU.
According to her, the Protocol has remained Africa’s most comprehensive legal instrument on the protection and promotion of the rights of women and girls. She noted that although the Protocol was adopted in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2003 and ratified by Nigeria in 2004, significant gaps still exist between legal commitments and practical implementation, particularly within tertiary institutions.
She explained that the Protocol goes beyond general human rights provisions by specifically addressing challenges confronting women, including harmful traditional practices, reproductive health rights, political participation, access to education, and protection from all forms of violence, including sexual harassment.
According to her, Article 12 of the Protocol obliges State Parties to eliminate sexual harassment in educational institutions, while Article 4 guarantees every woman’s right to dignity and protection from violence.
Val-Okeoma, who is the Managing Partner of Didi Anike and Partners cited common cases on campuses such as sex-for-grades, abuse of authority by lecturers and senior students, gender-based violence, discrimination against female students, and poor reporting mechanisms as issues that universities must urgently address.
“The university must have a clear policy, confidential reporting channels, and effective disciplinary measures. Silence is not an option. Students deserve to study in an environment free from fear, intimidation and exploitation,” she said.
The keynote speaker acknowledged progress recorded over the past 23 years, including Nigeria’s enactment of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) 2015, the establishment of gender centres in universities, increased student advocacy, and growing judicial recognition of women’s rights under the Maputo Protocol.
However, she lamented that many institutions still operate ineffective policies due to poor implementation, fear of victimization, lack of accountability, inadequate legal awareness among students, and insufficient funding for gender desks and counselling services.
To strengthen university responses, Val-Okeoma advocated the adoption of comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policies aligned with the Maputo Protocol and the VAPP Act, independent and confidential reporting systems, transparent disciplinary procedures, protection for whistleblowers, regular publication of reports on handled cases, and sustained legal literacy campaigns for students and staff.
Val-Okeoma, a former 2023 Imo State governorship aspirant under the Labour Party (LP), also urged universities to eliminate the culture of victim blaming and impunity, insisting that institutional reputation is better protected through justice and accountability than by covering up cases of abuse.
Addressing law students, she challenged them to become advocates for justice by educating fellow students on their rights, documenting abuses, supporting victims, and using legal clinics and advocacy platforms to promote accountability on campus.
Val-Okeoma stressed that the Maputo Protocol remains a living instrument that must translate into safer campuses where every woman and girl can pursue education without fear of harassment or discrimination.
She called on university administrators, students, civil society organizations, and policymakers to renew their commitment to enforcing laws and institutional policies that guarantee dignity, equality, and protection for women.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Martin Onu, reaffirmed Imo State University’s commitment to addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and sexual harassment through effective institutional policies and accountability. He said the university’s primary objective was to uphold human dignity by creating a safe, inclusive and fear-free learning environment where students could pursue their academic aspirations without intimidation, coercion or harassment.
In separate remarks, the Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, Imo State University, Dr. Ngozi Chuma-Umeh, and the Imo State Director of Alliances for Africa (AfA), Mrs. Blessing Duru, emphasized the need for sustained stakeholder engagement to advance the objectives of the Maputo Protocol. They urged law students to equip themselves with adequate knowledge of the legal and policy frameworks for preventing and addressing Gender-Based Violence and sexual harassment, stressing that informed legal practitioners have a critical role to play in promoting justice and protecting the rights of vulnerable persons.
Also in attendance were the Police Public Relations Officer, Imo State Police Command, DSP Henry Okoye, and the Vice Chairman as well as the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, Dr. Ekezie Onumajulu. They condemned all forms of Gender-Based Violence and sexual harassment while reaffirming their commitment to promoting justice, strengthening law enforcement and ensuring accountability for offenders.
A major highlight of the event was an interactive panel discussion featuring legal practitioners and law students of Imo State University. The panelists assessed the progress made in implementing the Maputo Protocol and unanimously agreed that eliminating Gender-Based Violence and sexual harassment in tertiary institutions requires courage, strong institutional accountability, effective enforcement of existing laws and policies, and a survivor-centred justice system that goes beyond policy formulation to meaningful action.
