A scandal has erupted in Nigeria after a video surfaced online showing university staff checking whether female students were wearing bras before allowing them to sit for exams. The incident took place at Olabisi Onabanjo University in the southwestern state of Ogun.
The footage shows female staff members touching the chests of some students as they wait in line to enter the exam hall. The university administration has not yet commented on the incident, but a student leader defended the practice, calling it part of an official dress code aimed, he claimed, at maintaining an "environment free of distractions."
He acknowledged, however, that more appropriate methods were needed to enforce such policies. Critics have described the university’s approach as outdated, discriminatory, and comparable to sexual harassment.
The controversy gained new momentum after human rights advocates raised the prospect of legal action against the university. Haruna Ayagi, a representative of the Human Rights Network, told the BBC that "unlawful physical contact with another person's body is a violation of rights and could carry legal consequences." He called the university's method of combating "indecent dressing" unacceptable.
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that despite not being a religious institution, the university adheres to a strict moral code and regularly monitors students' appearance. According to her, clothing is routinely checked by staff.
In response to public outrage, student union president Muiz Olatunji issued a statement on X, saying the university enforces a "dress code policy aimed at promoting an atmosphere of respect and concentration, and encouraging modest clothing in line with the institution's values." He added that the policy is not new, and that the student union is already in talks with the administration to find alternative ways to ensure compliance—emphasising respectful and dignified interaction between students and staff.
Olatunji also published the full text of the dress code, which includes a clause prohibiting clothing "capable of arousing lust in members of the opposite or same sex in an indecent manner."
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