Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday called for action to be taken against tutors implicated in a sex scandal that has rocked the West African country.

A BBC expose unearthed a scandal in which university lecturers sexually blackmailed female students in order to award them academic marks.

A lecturer implicated in the Sex for Grades film have since been suspended from work.

"I urge our law enforcement agencies and school administrators to take up such cases with every seriousness, and ensure that perpetrators face the consequences of their actions. The practice of shaming and silencing victims must also be discouraged by all," President Buhari said via his Twitter handle.

The president acknowledged that his country needed to do more to protect its women, especially in schools.

Following the airing of the expose, the Nigerian senate on Wednesday introduced a bill that aims to prevent the sexual harassment of university students. If passed, teaching staff could face up to 14 years in jail for having sexual relationships with their students.

First Lady Aisha Buhari also called for more action to be taken in order to protect Nigeria's women.

"I want to state that more needs to be done especially to address gender based violence which seems to be more pronounced recently. All hands must be on deck to achieve this," she said.

(With input from BBC)