NANS President Blows Whistle on SUG Leaders, Accuses Some of Trading Students’ Welfare for Personal Gains
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, popularly known as BabTee, has issued a stern warning to Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents and other student leaders against allegedly sacrificing students’ welfare for personal financial gains amid growing concerns over tuition fee increases in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Afeez expressed concern over what he described as disturbing cases in which some SUG officials allegedly reached secret agreements with school managements to support tuition fee increases in exchange for improved personal allowances, increased union dues and other financial benefits.
According to the NANS President, such alleged arrangements represent a betrayal of the trust reposed in student leaders, who are elected to protect the interests of their colleagues rather than support policies that could further increase the financial burden on students and their families.
He maintained that student representatives must remain accountable to the students who elected them, particularly at a time when the rising cost of education continues to generate concerns across the country.
Afeez alleged that his recent engagements with some tertiary institutions considering tuition fee increases had exposed instances in which certain SUG presidents were allegedly willing to support the proposed increases because their personal allowances or union dues were expected to rise.
He further claimed that some student union officials had allegedly been offered personal financial benefits to secure their cooperation and weaken opposition to the proposed fee adjustments.
Describing the situation as unfortunate, the NANS President warned that such conduct undermines the credibility of student leadership and weakens the collective voice of the student population.
“Your loyalty should be to the students who elected you. You cannot collect a mandate from students and use it to bargain against their interests,” Afeez warned.
He stressed that the SUG was established to protect, defend and promote students’ interests, insisting that the platform must not become an avenue for personal enrichment at the expense of the wider student community.
Beyond his criticism of alleged compromises among student leaders, Afeez urged students facing tuition fee increases to organise themselves, mobilise peacefully and demand a reconsideration of decisions they consider unfair or financially burdensome.
He called on students to hold their elected union presidents accountable by insisting that they lead legitimate engagements and protests against policies affecting students’ welfare.
According to him, SUG presidents should be at the forefront of consultations with school authorities, ensuring that students’ concerns are properly communicated and addressed before decisions affecting their education are implemented.
Afeez also emphasised that decisions capable of worsening the financial situation of students should not be imposed without adequate consultation and consideration of their concerns.
The NANS President reiterated that student leadership is a position of responsibility that demands integrity, courage and unwavering commitment to the collective interest.
He reminded SUG presidents and other student representatives that their mandate comes from the students they represent, warning that any attempt to exploit that trust for personal advantage could damage the credibility of the entire student movement.
His remarks come amid continuing concerns over the affordability of tertiary education in Nigeria, with students and their families facing increasing pressure to meet educational expenses.
Afeez called for a renewed commitment to the principles of student activism, insisting that student leaders must stand with their constituents rather than align themselves with decisions that could undermine their welfare.
He concluded with a strong message to student union leaders: the mandate to represent students is a responsibility to protect their interests, not a licence to negotiate those interests away.
Aluta Continua! Victoria Ascerta!
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