President Bola Tinubu has urged the newly inaugurated leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students to pursue constructive engagement with the government as a means of advancing education sector development in Nigeria.

Tinubu, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon, delivered the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the 2026 NANS National Executive Council. He warned that education development would be hampered without student body collaboration, stressing that partnership between government and student leaders remained essential to driving meaningful progress.

The president commended the peaceful transition in NANS leadership as a demonstration of unity within the association and praised the outgoing president for exposing institutions allegedly diverting Nigerian Education Loan Fund disbursements meant for students, describing the action as responsible student leadership.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by Mrs Amy Igwe, the Director of Polytechnic and Allied Institutions at the Federal Ministry of Education, urged the new NANS leadership to champion unity, patriotism, and skills acquisition among students. He noted that the Federal Government had shifted its focus toward technical skills and entrepreneurship over paper certification and called on NANS to partner with the government to sensitise students to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended stakeholders for supporting the administration's efforts to end incessant strikes and urged continued dialogue with education ministries and the Federal Government.

The newly inaugurated NANS President, Babatunde Akinteye, pledged to serve as a "chief servant" of Nigerian students, promising to prioritise welfare, representation, and advocacy under what he described as the "Epoch Agenda."

"I promise never to betray the trust you have reposed in me through the ballot. Going forward, I refuse to be counted among those who enjoy the harvest yet forget those who planted the seeds," Akinteye said.