The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has proposed a new system under which students may be required to show proof of payment of its annual ₦200 dues before being mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
The proposal was disclosed by the NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, in a series of posts and a video shared on Facebook on Sunday and Monday, as he explained the association’s plans to reform the collection of its dues and strengthen its financial independence.
Babatunde had earlier stated that NANS would work with the NYSC and that payment of the association’s dues could become one of the criteria for students seeking mobilisation for camp.
“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 provide details of any formal agreement with the NYSC or indicate that the payment had already become an official requirement for mobilisation.
In a subsequent video, the NANS president explained that the proposed arrangement was part of a broader plan to stop relying on student union governments and institutional managements for the collection and remittance of students’ dues.
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According to him, the proposed annual payment is only ₦200 per student.
“This is not an avenue to stress the students further because the due is as low as 200 Naira per student, 200 Naira one year per student,” Babatunde said.
He said NANS was considering establishing a platform through which the money would be paid directly to the association rather than being collected through student unions or school authorities.
“We are considering moving from getting the due to capitation to get it to have a platform where we can get it directly from students,” he said.
Babatunde said the move was driven by what he described as persistent financial difficulties within the students’ association.
He alleged that between 80 and 90 per cent of student union governments were no longer fully in control of their dues, claiming that some institutions released only a fraction of the money collected to student unions.
“One of the ways to cripple the organisation is to make it lack funds, to be short of funds,” he said.
The NANS president cited the University of Benin as an example, alleging that the institution’s management had frustrated efforts by the student union government to access its dues after the union opposed an increase in school fees.
Babatunde argued that the financial challenges had affected NANS’ ability to respond to complaints and emergencies involving students.
He said the association had received thousands of complaints from students and had incurred expenses while intervening in cases involving students, including kidnapping incidents and accidents involving NANS buses.
“When I speak to you, I have about 3,000, 4,000 emails of student complaints… genuine complaints,” he said.
He added, “Where are those money coming from? Organisation that does not have dues.”
Babatunde said the proposed direct collection system was intended to make NANS less dependent on politicians, government officials and other individuals whose financial support could compromise its ability to advocate for students.
“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 was therefore exploring cooperation with agencies connected to students to establish a system for collecting the dues directly from students.
“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.
The NANS president also disclosed plans to amend the association’s laws and develop proposals to provide institutional backing for the new payment system.
He said the changes might not necessarily benefit the current administration but would strengthen the organisation for future leadership.
“We are going to amend our laws, we are going to have different proposals and see how we will start getting our due directly to the organisation,” he said.
Despite the proposal, payment of NANS dues is not currently established as a statutory requirement for NYSC mobilisation.
The NYSC operates its own eligibility and mobilisation procedures, and any attempt to introduce NANS dues as a condition for mobilisation would require a formal arrangement and appropriate institutional approval.y
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Babatunde did not announce a commencement date for the proposed system or provide evidence of a formal directive from the NYSC making the ₦200 payment mandatory.
For now, the proposal represents NANS’ attempt to establish a direct and more sustainable funding model for the organisation.
Babatunde maintained that the ultimate objective was to build a financially independent students’ body capable of effectively representing Nigerian students.
“This is not to pressure the student, it is just about doing the right thing that is necessary, so that the other organisation can also be independent, so that the organisation can also stand on its own and do things properly,” he said.
