By joshua 
NANS Advocates Dialogue Over Confrontation, Reaffirms Commitment to Students’ Interests.
Ahiaba Douglas
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has reiterated its commitment to aligning its objectives with the interests of Nigerian students and the wider populace, emphasizing dialogue and engagement over confrontation in addressing national issues.
Speaking at a Students’ Mentorship Summit held on Thursday at the Nigeria National Merit Award House in Abuja, the President of NANS, Olushola Oladoja, said the association under his leadership would adopt a more strategic and less confrontational approach in its dealings with government authorities.
The summit, themed “Skybound to Leadership: A Multi-Sector Approach to Youth Development in Tech, Aviation, Oil and Gas, Security, and Anti-Drug Cybercrime Advocacy,” brought together stakeholders to discuss youth empowerment across critical sectors.
Oladoja explained that NANS would prioritize negotiation, consultation, and effective communication in pursuing its demands, noting that confrontation would only be considered as a last resort after exhausting all peaceful channels.
He dismissed criticisms from some quarters suggesting that the association had become passive, describing such claims as misrepresentations of its current stance. According to him, the shift in strategy is aimed at achieving tangible results rather than engaging in prolonged disputes.
Highlighting some outcomes of this engagement approach, Oladoja pointed to the federal government’s provision of perimeter fencing in select tertiary institutions, particularly in the North-East, as a response to security concerns raised by NANS.
The NANS president also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for policies targeted at improving students’ welfare. He cited the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a key intervention supporting indigent students, alongside efforts to address recurrent strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) through enhanced welfare measures.
Oladoja reaffirmed that NANS remains committed to advocating for students’ rights while fostering constructive partnerships that will yield sustainable outcomes for the education sector and the nation at large.