“Students Must Shape Nigeria Now” — Shettima Declares as NANS Endorses Tinubu, Pledges 10m Votes
Abuja, Nigeria—October 14, 2026—Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday called on Nigerian students to take their place as active stakeholders in national decision-making, insisting they must help shape the country’s present rather than wait to inherit its future.
Receiving a high-powered delegation of national student leaders at the Presidential Villa, Shettima said the Tinubu administration’s education reforms, especially the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), were designed to keep young people in school, ease the burden on families, and end the cycle of prolonged strikes that disrupt 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.
There is no way to rebuild Nigeria without a place for the Nigerian student at the table where decisions are made,” the Vice President told the group.
Stable Academic Calendar Priority
Shettima assured the students that President Bola Tinubu remains determined to sustain an era of undisrupted academic calendars across tertiary institutions.
He said the government is deepening reforms in education financing, student welfare, and engagement with academic staff to ensure that “recurring strikes should cease to dictate your academic calendar.”
He described NELFUND as one of the administration’s most consequential interventions, noting that it has already helped many students remain in school despite financial pressures.
Reducing the immediate cost of education on parents, he added, creates breathing space for entire households and allows students to focus on their studies.
The Vice President also pointed to the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement as evidence of the government’s desire to maintain open channels with the student community. He urged the leaders to engage the government honestly, even when they disagree with its policies.
“A government that hears only applause deprives itself of the knowledge required to serve,” he said.
NANS Endorses Tinubu, Targets 10 Million Votes
In his remarks, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Akinteye Afeez, formally endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
He announced that NANS has constituted a National Election Mobilization Committee with a mandate to deliver 10 million votes across the six geopolitical zones.
Afeez said Nigerian students, as the country’s largest voting bloc, identify with the Renewed Hope Agenda and will mobilize massively for Tinubu’s re-election.
He singled out NELFUND as a transformative policy that has made education more accessible and removed the threat of students dropping out due to financial hardship.
“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,” he stated.
Also present at the meeting were leaders 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 engagement forms part of ongoing efforts by the administration to strengthen its relationship with the youth and position students as partners in national development.
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