The recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State is yet another painful reminder of the growing insecurity confronting Nigerians, particularly young people whose only crime is seeking an education. While parents, citizens, and civil society organizations continue to express outrage and demand urgent action from the government, one organization that should be at the forefront of this struggle has remained largely silent, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
For those of us who experienced the NANS of old, this silence is both shocking and disappointing.
There was a time when NANS was the strongest voice of Nigerian students. The association was fearless, vibrant, and uncompromising in its defense of students’ welfare and the protection of democratic values. Whenever students were attacked, victimized, or subjected to injustice, NANS mobilized nationwide protests, issued strong statements, and held governments accountable regardless of who was in power.
The NANS we knew would have declared a state of emergency over the abduction of innocent students and their teachers. It would have organized peaceful protests across campuses and states, mounted pressure on security agencies, and ensured that the plight of the victims remained in the national consciousness until they regained their freedom.
Unfortunately, that version of NANS appears to have disappeared.
Today, many Nigerians view NANS as an organization that has become heavily politicized and detached from the realities facing students. Rather than serving as an independent voice for Nigerian students, the association is increasingly perceived as an extension of political interests. The leadership structure has become dominated by individuals who seem to remain perpetually involved in student politics long after their expected time on campus.
The result is a weakened association that rarely confronts government failures and seldom mobilizes students around issues that directly affect them.
If NANS cannot speak forcefully against the abduction of Nigerian students and teachers, then one must ask: what exactly is the purpose of the association? If it cannot demand accountability from government officials whose primary responsibility is the protection of lives and property, then it is failing in its fundamental duty.
The abduction of students is not merely a security issue; it is an attack on education, the future of our country, and the rights of young Nigerians. Any organization genuinely committed to protecting students should treat such incidents as a national emergency.
NANS must immediately rise above politics and demonstrate that it still exists for the students it claims to represent. The association should mobilize nationwide peaceful protests, engage relevant authorities, and demand the immediate rescue and release of the abducted students and teachers. It should also insist on concrete measures to prevent future attacks on educational institutions across the country.
Anything short of this would reinforce the growing belief that NANS no longer belongs to Nigerian students but to politicians and government officials who have successfully captured what was once one of the country’s most powerful student movements.
The time has come for NANS to choose a side: the side of Nigerian students or the side of political convenience. History will judge its decision.
And to my leader, comrade Asefon Sunday Dayo, you are the SSA to the president on students engagement and a former NANS national president. What is your position on this abduction?
You were appointed as the SSA to the president on students engagement to represent Nigerian students at large. Silence is complicity.
NANS is going astray but we will not watch while the interest of Nigerian students and Nigerians at large is not protected.
Leave a Reply