A Nigerian university is facing significant online backlash following the emergence of a video showing female staff members reportedly touching women’s breasts to enforce a bra-wearing policy before exams.
The video, depicting staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ogun State enforcing that female students must wear bras during examinations, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
The controversy, which ignited this month, has drawn strong reactions online. Some critics have condemned the practice as “archaic and sexist,” with one user on X (formerly Twitter) calling it “harassment” and another labelling it a “human rights violation.”
However, others have defended the checks, arguing that it is “inappropriate” for women to enter public spaces without wearing a bra.
Muizz Olatunji, the president of OOU’s students’ union, publicly justified the policy on X, stating that “‘No bra, no entry’ is not a new policy in Olabisi Onabanjo University.”
He explained that OOU promotes a dress code aimed at maintaining “a respectful and distraction-free environment,” encouraging modesty and alignment with institutional values. Olatunji also mentioned the university’s urging of female students to “shun indecent dressing that’s capable of making the opposite sex unnecessarily lust after them.”
Despite this defence, the students’ union will reportedly engage in talks with university officials to “explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff.” The university has not yet issued an official comment on the uproar.
Most Nigerian universities implement varying degrees of strict dress codes, often banning items like mini-skirts for women or dreadlocks and earrings for men.
Nigeria, with a largely Muslim and Christian population, maintains conservative social attitudes, particularly in rural areas.
