The American University of Nigeria (AUN) and the Gender Mobile Initiative are strengthening their collaboration to advance institutional policies and mechanisms for preventing and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The commitment emerged during an engagement held on October 30, 2026, at AUN's Yola campus, where leaders of both organizations discussed strategies for strengthening institutional safeguards, reporting systems, and the implementation of policies against sexual harassment.
Highlighting AUN's identity as Africa's Development University, President Professor DeWayne Frazier emphasized the importance of campus safety and women's empowerment to sustainable national development.
"Educating and protecting women, who represent 55 percent of our student body, is fundamental to national development," stated Professor Frazier. "Societies that value and protect women and children are uniquely positioned for sustainable growth. AUN remains committed to serving as a scalable model for institutional integrity and student safety across West Africa."
The Gender Mobile Initiative, which partnered with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to develop a model anti-sexual harassment policy, identified AUN as an important partner among its 367 participating tertiary institutions nationwide.
"Preventing sexual harassment requires moving beyond reactive measures toward preventive institutional policy and active enforcement," said Michael Terna Adigam, Senior Program Officer at Gender Mobile Initiative. "Our collaboration with AUN focuses on full policy operationalization, structural sensitization, and reinforcing reporting pathways to build sustainable, harassment-free academic environments."
The collaboration is expected to focus on joint programs covering student orientation, policy implementation, and stronger confidential reporting mechanisms. These efforts are intended to strengthen institutional accountability, improve awareness of reporting procedures, and contribute to safer and more supportive learning environments across Nigerian higher education institutions.
Reported by Joshua Joy Jiya