Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has vowed to embark on a nation wide protest against hike in public higher educational institutions.
In a statement by Senate President Sen. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez (BABTEE), NANS expressed unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and interests of Nigerian students.
The students’ body reiterated its commitment to safeguarding members’ rights, rejecting proposed fee increases and threatening protests to ensure affordable education.
The organisation urges the Federal Government to intervene promptly to avert a crisis from the proposed fee hikes.
Recently institutions such as thr Federal University of Technology, Akure(FUTA), the Federal College of Agriculture, (Akure) and others have proposed tuition fee increases which NANS unequivocally rejected.
Sen. Afeez decried the disregard for explicit instructions from the Federal Government against tuition fee hikes, emphasizing the need for Vice Chancellors and institution heads to adhere to these directives.
The statement warned, “If these institutions persist in disregarding the government’s stance, NANS will mobilize Nigerian students nationwide for a relentless protest, aiming to stampede and shut down the country until our demands are met.”
Emphasising that education is a right, not a privilege, NANS vowed to resist any attempt to burden students with additional financial strain.
It also declared its intent to closely monitor the implementation of the new education budget and fiercely resist any policy that compromises the accessibility of quality education.
The statement articulated concerns about the proposed tuition fee hikes jeopardizing education accessibility for the common man.
NANS emphasized that such increases could lead to severe consequences, including students abandoning education due to financial strain, high unemployment rates, and driving some into criminal activities.
NANS called on the federal government to intervene swiftly, urging alignment with the commitment to affordable and quality education.
The association highlighted potential negative fallout, including a surge in crimes, a decline in national productivity, and a setback to collective progress if education affordability is neglected.
NANS therefore, demanded decisive action from the Federal Government and relevant authorities to ensure reasonable and accessible tuition fees, asserting that education is a right that should not become a privilege for a few.