‘Don’t Dress to Kill, Don’t Shake Hands with Men’ — UNILAG Issues Controversial Advice to Female Students

• UNILAG has advised female students not to “shake hands anyhow with any man” as part of new counselling guidelines aimed at preventing sexual harassment and rape on campus, sparking widespread reactions online.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has released a new set of counselling guidelines for female students, advising them to adopt precautionary measures to reduce the risk of sexual harassment and rape on campus.

The advisory, issued through the university’s Student Affairs Division and displayed on a roll-up banner within the institution, has drawn attention for one of its key messages: “Do not shake hands anyhow with any man.”

Other recommendations on the banner include:

• “Do not dress to kill.”
• “Do not mingle carelessly with men.”
• “Do not stay alone with a man in a hidden place.”
• “Do not seek unnecessary favour from men.”
• “Do not join to watch pornographic films or pictures.”
• “Do not accept intoxicants and be vigilant when you are served drinks.”
• “Do not give in to pressure—be assertive.”
• “Learn to say no.”

The university said the advisory forms part of its counselling efforts to educate female students on personal safety and ways to reduce the risk of sexual harassment and sexual violence on campus.

The development comes amid previous reports of sexual assault cases within the university community.

In April, a 20-year-old UNILAG undergraduate told an Ikeja High Court that she was allegedly raped by a lecturer, Dr. Samuel Ojogbo, inside his office on the university campus. The lecturer is currently facing trial over the allegation.

The institution has also recorded other sexual assault cases in recent years, including the 2019 arraignment of five students over the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old student.