For years, students across West Africa spoke quietly about lecturers who abused their authority, demanding sexual access in exchange for admissions support, grades, or academic protection. Complaints circulated in hostels, private conversations, and social media posts, yet formal action often proved difficult. Many students feared retaliation, disbelief, or academic consequences.
In October 2019, BBC Africa Eye released “Sex for Grades”, an undercover investigation that brought those allegations into public view. Nigerian investigative journalist Kiki Mordi served as the central undercover reporter. Posing as a prospective student, she used hidden cameras to document interactions with lecturers at the University of Lagos in Nigeria and the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana.
The footage captured lecturers allegedly soliciting sexual relationships while discussing admissions and academic opportunities. The recordings placed visual evidence alongside testimonies that had long circulated without documentation.
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University Responses and Immediate Fallout
Following the broadcast, the University of Lagos announced the suspension of Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a lecturer featured in the documentary. The university council initiated an internal investigation into the allegations. The decision marked one of the fastest institutional responses to a high profile harassment case in the university’s recent history.
In Ghana, the University of Ghana publicly condemned sexual harassment and confirmed that disciplinary procedures were underway. In February 2020, reporting indicated that lecturers featured in the documentary received sanctions, including suspensions.
The responses in both countries demonstrated that universities were compelled to address allegations publicly once visual evidence entered the public domain.
Legislative Debate in Nigeria
On 9 October 2019, Nigeria’s Senate reintroduced the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Bill. The bill, sponsored by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo Agege, had previously appeared in earlier legislative sessions. Its reintroduction came amid heightened public debate following the documentary’s release.
The proposed legislation sought to criminalise sexual harassment by educators in tertiary institutions and establish clearer penalties. Debate around the bill renewed national attention to the vulnerability of students within hierarchical academic systems.
National Attention on Gender Based Violence
By 2020, public discussion around sexual violence in Nigeria extended beyond campuses. A series of high profile rape cases intensified national outrage. In June 2020, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum declared a state of emergency on sexual and gender based violence. The declaration urged stronger enforcement of existing laws and encouraged states to strengthen legal frameworks protecting women and girls.
Although the declaration addressed violence broadly, campus harassment remained part of the wider conversation about abuse of power and institutional accountability.
Offender Registers and Policy Measures
In September 2020, Edo State launched a sex offenders register. The register was designed to document convicted offenders and strengthen transparency. Officials described it as part of broader efforts to combat sexual violence within the state.
At the federal level, Nigeria maintains the Nigeria Sexual Offender and Service Provider Database, managed by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP. The platform provides a record of convicted offenders and information on service providers supporting survivors.
These measures reflected a policy direction that treated sexual violence as an issue requiring documentation, coordination, and public accountability.
Beyond “Sex for Grades”
Kiki Mordi’s work extends beyond one investigation. In 2017, she launched an online petition addressing police extortion and exploitation after reporting an incident in which police officers entered her home and accused her and her boyfriend of being cultists. The petition drew attention to concerns about abuse of authority within law enforcement.
She also produced “Life at the Bay” with filmmaker Nora Awolowo, a documentary focusing on women living in Tarkwa Bay, Lagos. The film explored survival, displacement concerns, and the pressures facing informal coastal communities.
Across these projects, her reporting has consistently focused on the intersection of authority, vulnerability, and the everyday realities faced by women.
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Lasting Impact
“Sex for Grades” altered the public landscape around campus harassment. Universities responded with disciplinary action. Lawmakers revisited legislative proposals. Governors publicly declared emergencies on sexual and gender based violence. Policy tools such as offender registers gained greater visibility.
The documentary placed campus harassment at the centre of national discourse and ensured that allegations once dismissed as rumour entered official records and public debate.
Author’s Note
The enduring lesson of “Sex for Grades” is that silence shields misconduct, but documented truth forces response. When abuse of authority is placed on record, institutions must answer publicly. The work of exposing injustice does not end with a broadcast, it continues in the policies, reforms, and protections that follow.
References
BBC Africa Eye, “Sex for Grades”, October 2019 release records.
Premium Times, “Senate re introduces anti sexual harassment bill”, 9 October 2019.
Channels Television, “UNILAG suspends lecturer captured in secret video”, 7 October 2019.
University of Ghana official release responding to BBC documentary, 8 October 2019.
University World News, reporting on University of Ghana sanctions, 18 February 2020.
Premium Times, “Nigerian governors declare state of emergency on sexual violence”, 11 June 2020.
Channels Television, “Edo Govt launches sex offenders register”, 16 September 2020.
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Nigeria Sexual Offender and Service Provider Database.
International Emmy Awards, 2020 News and Current Affairs nominees announcement.
