Abuja: The African University of Science and Technology (AUST) and the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) have built the capacity of students and staffers on sexual harassment prevention and safeguarding. Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, President of AUST, made this known at the RSIF Refresher Workshop on ‘Preventing Sexual Harassment and Grievance Redress Mechanisms’ on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the workshop aims to strengthen the culture of safety, awareness, accountability, and support while reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy and commitment to creating a safe academic environment for students and staff. Prof. Onwualu emphasized the importance of having clear rules of engagement and regulations to prevent situations where students could be vulnerable to harassment by lecturers or staff.
Onwualu highlighted the diversity of the university, which comprises students and lecturers from across Africa and the world, underlining the necessity of adhering to AUST’s gender and sexual harassment policies. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences and Engineering (PASET), a World Bank program that sends PhD students from all over Africa to AUST.
The workshop’s goal, Onwualu added, was not only to prevent harassment but also to ensure robust redress mechanisms are in place for those affected. Dr. Evelyn Nguku, Head of the Integrated Capacity Building Platform at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), stressed the importance of safe university environments for productivity and the quality of doctoral research.
Bonfire Nyagah, Capacity Building and Safeguarding Specialist at icipe, stated that the goal of the workshop was to initiate honest conversations about recognizing, reporting, and addressing harassment within academic spaces. Nyagah emphasized the role of safeguarding in protecting scholarship recipients and faculty from harassment and gender-based violence.
Nyagah also warned against the normalization of harmful behaviors, noting that individuals might unknowingly dismiss harassment as compliments. The workshop aims to educate participants on identifying harassment and responding appropriately within legal and university policy frameworks.