Actress Shine Rosman Decries Normalised Sexual Harassment in Yaba

Nigerian actress Shine Rosman has raised concerns over what she described as the growing normalisation of sexual harassment in Nigeria, particularly in public spaces across Lagos.

Speaking during an interview with Tolu Afilaka on May 12, 2026, she lamented that many women continue to experience inappropriate touching and harassment in crowded areas, with little or no intervention from authorities or bystanders.

The actress said that harassment has become so common that it is often ignored or treated as a normal occurrence. She recounted a recent incident in Yaba where a young woman reportedly used a cord to defend herself after a man allegedly attempted to touch her inappropriately, stating that such reactions were justified.

“Do you know how bad sexual harassment is in Lagos? Like go to Yaba as a girl and see how you will be touched inappropriately. Everybody hearing this knows that it is true. But till today, nothing has been done about it. You’re walking in Yaba, and people are touching you inappropriately, and nothing will happen,” she said.

Shine criticised what she described as the lack of accountability for offenders and questioned the safety of women in the country, warning that unchecked public harassment could encourage more severe forms of abuse in private settings.

“In 2026, in a country like Nigeria, sexual harassment is still one of the most passive things,” she stated.

She added that if a man could casually sexually harass a woman in public during the day, it raised concerns about what such individuals might be capable of doing in private when no one was watching. The actress also questioned whether women are being forced to rely on self-defence because of the perceived inaction of authorities.

“If the government is not going to do anything, is it not okay for us to defend ourselves?” she asked.