Key points
- NANS proposes an annual ₦200 dues payment for students.
- The students’ body is considering a link between payment of the dues and NYSC mobilisation.
- NANS wants to collect the dues directly from students instead of relying on SUGs and school managements.
- The association says the proposed model is aimed at strengthening its financial independence and capacity to represent students.
- Any new NYSC mobilisation requirement would have to be formally established by the relevant authorities.
Main Story
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is seeking to introduce a direct annual dues collection system under which students would pay ₦200 to the association, with its leadership considering a link between payment and mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed the proposal in social media posts and a video explaining the association’s plans to reform its funding structure.
Babatunde said NANS was considering working with the NYSC and other agencies connected to students to facilitate direct collection of the annual dues.
“We will be working with NYSC and one of the criteria to be mobilised for camp is NANS dues receipt,” he said.
However, he did not disclose details of a formal agreement with the NYSC or state when the proposed arrangement would take effect.
The NANS president said the annual payment would be ₦200 per student and argued that the amount was small enough not to impose a significant additional financial burden on students.
“This is not an avenue to stress the students further because the due is as low as 200 Naira per student in a year,” he said.
According to Babatunde, the proposed system is intended to address funding challenges faced by NANS under the existing arrangement, where the association receives capitation through student union governments and institutions.
He alleged that between 80 and 90 per cent of student union governments were no longer in effective control of their dues, claiming that some institutions release only a portion of the funds collected.
Babatunde said the situation had weakened NANS financially and affected its ability to respond to student-related issues, despite the association continuing to intervene in cases across tertiary institutions.
He said NANS was therefore considering moving from the existing capitation arrangement to a platform that would allow students to pay their dues directly to the association.
“We are going towards [agencies] to cooperate with to get this due directly to the organisation, no more to the management, no more to the SUGs, but directly to the organisation,” he said.
Babatunde also argued that greater financial independence would allow NANS to engage government agencies more effectively without depending on politicians or government officials for funding.
“How do you want people to run to politicians or government to seek their support and when they have issues with the agencies, they still want to stand and fight those agencies?” he asked.
He said NANS had continued to handle student complaints and emergencies despite its funding challenges, citing thousands of complaints received by the association.
“When I speak to you, I have about 3,000, 4,000 emails of student complaints… genuine complaints,” he said.
He added that NANS had incurred expenses responding to emergencies involving students, including kidnapping cases and accidents involving its buses, despite having limited access to dues.
The Issues
The proposed link between NANS dues and NYSC mobilisation raises questions about whether payment to a student association can become a condition for participation in a statutory national service programme.
NANS’ announcement does not by itself establish a new NYSC mobilisation requirement. Any such arrangement would require formal approval and implementation through the appropriate institutional and legal processes.
The proposed direct collection system also shifts responsibility for NANS funding from student union structures to the association itself, potentially changing how student dues are administered across tertiary institutions.
NANS says the move is necessary because of alleged difficulties in accessing funds collected through existing structures.
What’s Being Said
NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde:
“This is not an avenue to stress the students further because the due is as low as 200 Naira per student in a year.”
Babatunde said the proposed payment system was designed to make NANS financially independent and improve its ability to represent students.
He also argued that students should contribute financially to an organisation from which they expect representation and support.
“How can you feel the impact correctly, if you are not putting your money where your mouth is? This is an organisation for all of us,” he said.
What’s Next
NANS plans to amend its laws and develop proposals to support the direct collection of the annual dues.
The association is also expected to engage relevant agencies and stakeholders on the proposed payment structure.
Whether payment of the ₦200 dues will eventually become a requirement for NYSC mobilisation remains subject to formal discussions, approval and confirmation by the relevant authorities.
Bottom Line
NANS is seeking a new funding model that would allow it to collect ₦200 annually from students directly, rather than depend on student union governments and school managements.
The proposed NYSC link could significantly expand the collection system if formally approved, but for now, NANS has not established payment of its dues as an official NYSC mobilisation requirement.
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