OOU No-Bra Rule: Nigeria Outrage & Exam Ban
Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Nigeria faces a firestorm of criticism after a video surfaced showing bra checks on female students before an exam, sparking widespread outrage. The “bra policy,” part of the university’s dress code, has led to female staff members touching students’ chests, drawing condemnation as both sexist and potentially illegal. Critics are calling for immediate changes. A student leader defends the policy’s aim for a distraction-free environment,yet acknowledges the need for option enforcement methods. Human rights experts weigh in, suggesting students may have grounds for legal action. The situation at OOU underscores the important roles of dress code and university policies. News Directory 3 is closely monitoring the situation.With the public outcry growing, will the university revise its controversial dress code, and what alternative measures will be adopted? Discover what’s next…
Nigerian University’s Bra Checks Spark Outrage
Updated June 19, 2025
A video showing female students at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State, Nigeria, undergoing bra checks before an exam has ignited widespread condemnation. The footage depicts female staff members touching students’ chests as they lined up to enter the examination hall.
While the university has yet to issue an official statement, a student leader defended the “bra policy” as part of the institution’s dress code, aimed at fostering a “distraction-free surroundings.” Though, the student leader conceded that alternative methods are needed to enforce the policy, which critics have blasted as archaic, sexist, and akin to sexual assault. The university’s dress code policy and its enforcement are now under scrutiny.
Haruna Ayagi, a senior official at Human Rights Network, said students coudl sue the university for rights violations. ”Unwarranted touches on another person’s body is a violation and could lead to legal action,” Ayagi said.”The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing.”
One student, who requested anonymity, said the university enforces a strict moral code despite not being a religious institution, with frequent clothing checks.
Muizz olatunji, president of the university’s students’ union, addressed the outcry on X, stating that the university promotes “a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution’s values.” Olatunji added that the policy is not new, and the union has been working with the university to find alternative, respectful ways to address “indecent dressing.”
The university’s dress code prohibits clothing “capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner.”
Olabisi Onabanjo University was established in 1982 as Ogun State University, during Olabisi Onabanjo’s tenure as state governor.It was renamed in his honor in 2001.
What’s next
The university is expected to address the controversy and potentially revise its dress code policy in response to the public outcry and potential legal challenges. Further discussions between the student union and university administration are anticipated to explore alternative enforcement methods.