The federal government has challenged the newly inaugurated leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to champion safer campuses, protect students’ interests and promote constructive engagement with government and educational institutions.
The charge was given at the inauguration of the new National Executive Council (NEC) of NANS, led by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, the Director of Polytechnic and Allied Institutions at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Amy Igwe, called on the new leadership to justify the confidence reposed in them by Nigerian students.
“Today marks a historic milestone as we inaugurate a new set of leaders saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students, the largest student body on the African continent.
“Your emergence is a testament to the confidence your colleagues have in your capacity, character and commitment to serve. I pray that you will not disappoint,” she said.
She urged the executives to champion students’ welfare through constructive engagement with governments and institutions, while working to ensure peace and stability across campuses.
The ministry also encouraged the new leadership to promote skills acquisition, innovation and entrepreneurship so that graduates become employers of labour instead of merely certificate holders.
“You have to advocate for skills, innovation and entrepreneurship so that Nigerian graduates are not just certificate holders but solution providers,” she added.
Igwe further urged NANS to collaborate with government initiatives, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), TETFund, student support programmes and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiatives designed to ease the burden on students and their families.
“The Federal Ministry of Education remains open to collaboration with your leadership. We believe that when government and students work together, we can build an education system that is equitable, accessible and fit for the 21st century,” she stated.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Prof Temi Ologunorisa, congratulated the new NANS president, an alumnus of the institution, and described the mandate entrusted to the new executives as sacred.
“You are not just leaders of students; you are custodians of the hopes of over 40 million young Nigerians,” he said.
Ologunorisa urged the new leadership to replace confrontation with constructive engagement, encouraging them to engage ministers, vice-chancellors and other stakeholders while proposing practical solutions to challenges facing the education sector.
“NANS must move away from confrontation to constructive engagement. Sit at the table with ministers, vice-chancellors and chief executives. Demand answers, but also propose solutions,” he advised.
Ologunorisa also urged the new leadership to defend students’ rights while promoting discipline, collaboration with institutional authorities and the fight against examination malpractice.
On his part, President of NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, pledged to lead with humility, transparency and a commitment to protecting the interests of over 40 million Nigerian students at home and abroad.
He expressed gratitude to students, stakeholders, his campaign team and supporters for entrusting him with the mandate, while promising to build on the achievements of past administrations and reposition NANS as a stronger, more effective voice for students.
Earlier, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended Nigerian students for sustaining peace across tertiary institutions and attributed the uninterrupted academic calendar witnessed in recent years to collaboration between government and stakeholders.
“This is the first time in a very long time that students are not going on strike. We have recorded about three years of uninterrupted academic activities, and many students are graduating and proceeding for national service without unnecessary delays,” he said.
