National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have warmly endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping education reforms, spotlighting strike-free Universities and life-changing loan schemes as proof of his commitment to youth empowerment.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s chief of staff, met with NANS leaders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, urging them to root out drug abuse, cultism and prostitution from campuses.
He described Universities as crucibles for character as much as knowledge, announcing a new committee to tackle ills in schools while lauding NANS for partnering with government.
“We believe in the youths—the students, your energy, capacity—and we don’t pay lip service to matters like this,” Gbajabiamila told the group.
Director of Information and Public Relations in the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye
in a statement said the Chief of Staff tasked NANS with embedding moral advocacy into campus life and praised their proactive engagement with the government.
Gbajabiamila also explained recent gains, including a stable agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has kept Nigeria’s Universities strike-free for nearly three years—a stark contrast to his time as House of Representatives speaker, when protracted disputes routinely extended students’ academic years.
The Chief of Staff pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which has enabled thousands of low-income students to stay in school.
Sunday Asefon, the President’s Senior Special Assiant on student engagement, echoed the commitment to ongoing dialogue and restoring predictable academic calendars after years of ASUU-government clashes.
NANS President Olushola Oladoja hailed Tinubu’s “unprecedented support,” crediting policies like enhanced ASUU talks, the loan scheme—which has reached over 900,000 students—and campus security upgrades, including perimeter fencing for vulnerable sites after hostel break-ins.
He said that four-year courses are now completing on time.
Oladoja pledged NANS’s backing for government initiatives, including a planned Abuja rally to endorse Tinubu’s policies, while requesting a presidential audience, fasting-season aid for students and more graduate jobs.
The group committed to sustaining its conflict-resolution efforts.
