The need for citizens to play their role or contribute their quotas in helping to build a great nation, rather than abscond in the face of seething challenges is echoed in the story of Nkiru "Kiki" Mordi, a Nigerian investigative journalist, filmmaker, writer and entrepreneur, whose actions led to the creation of Nigeria's Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill.

Mordi, having dropped out of school because of harassment from a lecturer, was prompted by that ugly experience to shoot the Sex for Grades video with the BBC Africa Eye, exposing the depth of sexual harassment among Nigerians and Ghanaian lecturers.

Mordi, who had earlier won the award of Outstanding Radio Program Presenter (South-South) at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards in 2016, put together a team to investigate further the abusive acts of lectures in the two country's higher institutions. It took her and her team nine months to complete the investigation, during which she disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker. 

On 7 October 2019, Mordi and her team at the BBC Africa Eye released a 13-minute documentary exposing sexual harassment of students by lecturers in University of Lagos and University of Ghana. Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of University of Lagos, Dr. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor of University of Ghana were the lecturers implicated in a viral video that came with the exposé. 

Igbeneghu is a senior lecturer in the faculty of arts, University of Lagos and a pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria. Gyampo is an associate professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana and Butakor is a lecturer at the College of Education in the University of Ghana.

After the exposé, Gyampo threatened to sue the BBC. Due to the documentary, University of Lagos suspended Igbeneghu and Foursquare Gospel Church asked him to step down from the pulpit. A "Cold Room" caught in the video where lecturers sexually harass students was shut down by the University of Lagos.

Prominent Nigerians such as musician, Adekunle Gold and wife, Simi, hailed Mordi for her Sex for Grades documentary. A former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, and a former senate president of Nigeria, Bukola Saraki, called on the Nigerian government to take immediate action against sexual harassment in Nigerian universities.

In an interview with Sahara Reporters, Mordi revealed that she received subtle threats since concluding the investigation. Despite the threats, on 8 October 2019, Mordi and her team at the BBC Africa Eye released a full hour long documentary that featured more lecturers that are guilty of sexually harassing students and led to the suspension of Dr Samuel Oladipo, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Lagos.

Yielding to calls and pressures, the Nigerian Senate re-introduced the anti-sexual harassment bill on 9 October 2019, and was read on the floor of the Senate. The bill was passed on 9 July 2020, proposing up to 14 years jail term for offenders.

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill aims to prevent, prohibit, and penalize sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary educational institutions. Designed to curb power imbalances and "sex-for-grades" schemes, it criminalizes sexual misconduct and forces educational administrators to act on complaints.

Key provisions of the legislation of the bill include penalties for educators where convicted educators face strict prison sentences ranging from 5 to 14 years without the option of a fine, depending on the severity of the offense. 

Others include the removal of mutual consent as a valid legal defense for educators in sexual harassment cases, acknowledging the inherent power imbalance in the educator-student relationship; and institutional accountability where heads of institutions and administrators who neglect or fail to forward student complaints to an independent disciplinary committee within 14 working days face up to 2 years imprisonment, a N5 million fine, or both. The legislation sets up an independent committee or tribunal to independently and transparently handle, investigate, and resolve allegations. 

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill received significant backing across the National Assembly, with both the Senate and the House of Representatives passing versions (such as the Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill in 2025), highlighting the widespread commitment to academic integrity while protecting the dignity of students.

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill might not have come to light if Mordi herself did not go through the ordeal that fueled the passion in her to take up the task of unveiling the truth. Her action is indeed inspiring. The birth of the Bill has helped to checkmate randy lecturers and in the process saved their victims from harassments. But above all, it shows the vital place that the media (journalist) can play as societ's watchdog.

Source: Wikipedia