By Ado Oyeyemi
The University of Lagos has introduced a series of safety guidelines for female students as part of efforts to curb sexual harassment and rape within the institution.
The advisory, released on Monday through the university’s Student Affairs Division, was displayed on a roll-up banner across the campus.
It forms part of the institution’s counselling initiative aimed at promoting personal safety and encouraging students to adopt preventive measures against sexual abuse.
Among the recommendations, the university advised female students to exercise caution in their interactions with men.
One of the prominently displayed messages urged students not to “shake hands indiscriminately with any man.”
Other tips encouraged female students to avoid dressing in ways that could attract unwanted attention, refrain from carelessly associating with men, and avoid staying alone with men in secluded places.
The advisory also warned against seeking unnecessary favours from men, watching pornographic materials, accepting intoxicating substances, and consuming drinks without being vigilant.
Students were further advised to resist pressure, remain assertive, and confidently decline unwanted advances.
The guidance also cautioned that engaging in casual sexual activity could result in unintended pregnancy.
According to the Student Affairs Division, the campaign is designed to educate female students on practical ways to reduce their vulnerability to sexual harassment and assault while on campus.
The awareness campaign comes amid previous reports of sexual violence involving members of the university community.
Earlier this year, a 20-year-old undergraduate testified before an Ikeja High Court, alleging that a lecturer, Dr Samuel Ojogbo, sexually assaulted her.
The student told the court that the alleged incident occurred on August 22, 2025, inside the lecturer’s office after he had asked her to meet him following an examination.
She said the lecturer had first engaged her during an examination the previous day before instructing her to see him afterwards.
According to her testimony, she visited his office twice without meeting him before eventually seeing him after another examination he supervised the following day.
The university has also witnessed other high-profile sexual assault cases in the past. In 2019, the Lagos State Government arraigned five students of the institution over the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old student.
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The latest advisory underscores the university’s continued efforts to strengthen awareness on personal safety and discourage behaviours it believes could expose students to the risk of sexual violence.
