Shettima Says Nigerian Students Must Have Voice in National Decision-Making

Shettima Says Nigerian Students Must Have Voice in National Decision-Making

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for greater inclusion of Nigerian students in national decision-making, saying young people should be recognised as stakeholders in the country’s present and not merely its future.

Shettima stated this on Wednesday while receiving a delegation of national student leaders from across the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the Federal Government’s interventions in education, particularly the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) programme and efforts to improve academic staff welfare, were aimed at reducing the financial burden on families, keeping students in school and preventing recurring strikes from disrupting academic calendars.

“We do not need you for politics. We need you because you are the future of this country. What we have done differently is to give you a place in its present,” the Vice President said.

He added that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was committed to sustaining a more stable academic calendar through reforms in education financing, student welfare and engagement with lecturers.

“We are determined that recurring strikes should cease to dictate your academic calendar,” Shettima stated.

Describing NELFUND as one of the administration’s major education interventions, the Vice President said the programme had helped students remain in school despite financial difficulties.

He explained that easing the immediate burden of school fees on parents would provide financial relief for households and allow students to concentrate on their studies.

Shettima also said the appointment of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement, Hon. Sunday Asefon Dayo, was part of efforts to strengthen communication between the government and the student community.

He urged student leaders to engage the government honestly, including when they disagreed with its policies.

“A government that hears only applause deprives itself of the knowledge required to serve,” he said, assuring the delegation that education, student welfare and youth inclusion would remain part of the administration’s human-capital development agenda.

Earlier, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Akinteye Afeez, announced the association’s support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Afeez said NANS had established a National Election Mobilisation Committee with a target of mobilising 10 million votes across the six geopolitical zones.

He attributed the association’s position to what he described as the administration’s programmes and policies across various sectors, particularly education.

According to him, NELFUND had helped address financial challenges that previously threatened the education of many Nigerian students.

“As NANS President, I believe we must defend the principle behind this initiative while ensuring its continuity and sustainability, giving this administration a second term through our voting strength,” Afeez said.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of the National Association of University Students (NAUS), the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and the National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students (NANCES).

The statement was signed by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, on October 14, 2026.

Shettima Says Nigerian Students Must Have Voice in National Decision-Making