The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a fiery warning against what it calls an “anti-student agenda,” condemning plans by several universities to hike tuition fees across the country.
In a statement released by NANS Senate President, Akinteye Babatunde, the student body accused Vice Chancellors from leading institutions—including the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, and the University of Ibadan—of plotting unjustified tuition increases that threaten the future of Nigerian students.
“These senseless increments are nothing but a deliberate attempt to frustrate President Bola Tinubu’s newly introduced Student Loan Scheme,” Babatunde thundered. “We won’t sit back and watch while students are exploited under the pretext of institutional development or financial constraints.”
NANS vowed to fight tooth and nail to force the government to reverse these hikes, warning that Vice Chancellors responsible for such actions must be sacked.
“We call on President Tinubu to immediately investigate these Vice Chancellors who are bent on derailing his administration’s noble goal of providing accessible education,” Babatunde stated. “Their actions are a direct assault on Nigerian students and will not be tolerated.”
The association emphasized that the Student Loan Scheme was created to alleviate the financial burden on students and their families, not to be sabotaged by unjustified fee hikes.
In a rallying cry to Nigerians, parents, and education stakeholders, Babatunde urged them to stand with NANS against the exploitative increases.
“Education should be a fundamental right, not a privilege for the wealthy,” Babatunde stressed. “We will resist any attempt to turn our universities into centers of exploitation.”
NANS warned that any university attempting to inflate fees under the guise of financial challenges would face the full wrath of the Nigerian student body.
The association concluded by pledging to remain on the frontlines of this battle, ensuring that the Student Loan Scheme is successfully implemented without unnecessary interference.
