‘No bra, no exam': How a university rule has triggered outrage in Nigeria

First Post

20-06-2025

A Nigerian university, Olabisi Onabanjo University, is facing flak after a disturbing video surfaced online, showing female students being physically checked to ensure they were wearing bras before being allowed to sit for an exam. The checks were part of the university's dress code policy, aimed at maintaining a distraction-free environment' read more
A viral video shows female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State physically checking whether female students were wearing bras before entering an exam hall. The move has sparked massive outrage. AI-generated representative image
A Nigerian university has come under fire after a disturbing video surfaced online, showing female students being physically checked to ensure they were wearing bras before being allowed to sit for an exam.
The footage, reportedly filmed at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Nigeria's southwestern Ogun State, shows female staff touching students' chests as they stood in line outside an examination hall, according to a BBC report.
The university has yet to release an official statement, but the video has already sparked a wave of outrage across social media, with many criticising the invasive and humiliating practice.
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Here's what we know so far.
What is university's 'no bra, no exam' rule
The viral video that sparked the storm shows female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State physically checking whether female students were wearing bras before entering an exam hall.
The act, widely circulated on social media, was reportedly done to enforce the university's dress code. Staff are seen touching students' chests in line, supposedly to determine compliance with the rule.
Olabisi Onabanjo University OOU allegedly enforces the new 'No bra, No entry' policy as exams start yesterday🙆🏼‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/84LEPveGvZ — Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) June 17, 2025
Student union leader Muizz Olanrewaju Olatunji took to X to defend the policy, saying it was 'a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment,' and that it encourages students 'to dress modestly and in line with the institution's values.'
He added that the policy was not a new one, and claimed the student union had been in talks with university officials to find alternative ways of addressing what the institution considers 'indecent dressing' – with a focus on respectful engagement between students and staff.
While the university isn't affiliated with any religious body, Nigeria as a country remains deeply conservative. With 53.5 per cent of the population identifying as Muslim and nearly 44 per cent as Christian, social expectations around modesty are often strictly upheld, especially in rural areas.
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A student, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the university strictly enforces a moral code, and their clothes are always being checked.
Olatunji shared excerpts from what he said were the university's official guidelines, which define indecent dressing as any outfit that exposes 'sensitive body parts such as breasts, buttocks, nipples and belly-buttons,' or anything 'capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner.'
Student union leader of Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State Muizz Olanrewaju Olatunji defended the 'no bra', no exam' policy, saying it was 'a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a distraction-free environment'. Image courtesy: X
Such rules are not unusual in Nigeria, where many universities impose dress codes. Female students are often banned from wearing miniskirts, while male students may be prohibited from having dreadlocks or wearing earrings.
A 'draconian' rule
The recent video has sparked an online firestorm, with many branding the practice sexist, outdated, and even criminal.
'This is harassment. People have different reasons for not wearing bras,' wrote a user on X. Another wrote, 'That's human rights violation. Sue them!!!'
Haruna Ayagi, a senior official from the Human Rights Network, told the BBC that the method used by the university could land it in legal trouble.
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'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.'
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong echoed those concerns, calling the bra policy 'draconian' and 'arbitrary.'
'Physically examining the bodies of students to determine whether they are wearing a bra or not is not only degrading but also undignifying,' he told CNN.
Effiong added that there could be medical reasons why a student might not wear a bra, and pointed out that the blanket enforcement of such a policy 'without exceptions, or without taking peculiarities into consideration is arbitrary,' and could result in lawsuits.
With input from agencies