NANS Southwest Threatens Mass Action Over Housing Crisis and Campus Security Concerns

The Southwest Leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has warned that it may mobilise undergraduates across the region for peaceful advocacy actions if authorities fail to address mounting welfare concerns affecting students, particularly around housing costs and the conduct of security personnel near campuses.

Speaking at a press conference held in Akure, Ondo State, the association's Southwest Zonal Coordinator, Josiah Adeyemo, told journalists that accommodation costs in University towns across the region have risen sharply, with landlords and property agents accused of imposing excessive rents. The situation, he said, has driven many students into overcrowded apartments or forced them to live far from their campuses. NANS called on the State governments and legislative assemblies in the Southwest to introduce tenancy regulations that would protect students from exploitative housing arrangements.

The association also told journalists it had received multiple complaints from students alleging they were stopped, searched, and questioned by security operatives within student communities. Incidents cited included an alleged shooting involving a student in Osogbo and a reported assault on a Students' Union leader in Ogun State. The body urged the Nigeria Police Force to review these complaints and ensure officers around University communities conduct themselves professionally.

Poor electricity supply was equally raised as a concern, with the association criticising the Federal Ministry of Power, led by Adebayo Adelabu, for what it described as persistent failures that continue to hamper learning across Universities and Polytechnics in the region.

NANS also commended the University of Lagos for moves towards reinstating its Students' Union Government, while encouraging Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to follow suit. The association acknowledged the efforts of the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon, in supporting student welfare initiatives.

The Southwest NANS leadership stated that it would continue engaging relevant authorities to improve conditions for students, but made clear that patience among undergraduates in the region is wearing thin.