Major student unions in Nigeria have called for a nationwide protest to begin on July 29.
A joint statement from the groups issued on Wednesday said the National Association of University Students (NAUS), the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), and the National Association of Nigerian College of Education Students (NANCES) united to demand urgent action from the government.
The protest, according to them, is set to begin on Monday, July 29, and will continue indefinitely until the unions’ demands are met.
The statement issued by the groups came against the background of moves by civil society groups to launch a nationwide protest against recent economic decisions of the Federal Government and the challenges faced by Nigerians.
The students said, “The purpose of this memo is to prepare the minds of Nigerian students across tertiary institutions in the country, on the collective decision made by the leadership of the aforementioned associations, after due and painstaking consultations on the way forward for Nigerian students.
“The present economic quagmire occasioned by the rising cost of living, hike in the cost of commodities, hike in petroleum price, hike in electricity tariff, insecurity, poor funding of our institutions which presently affects more than 80% of the population in the country, is felt most by young Nigerians studying for various academic qualifications across tertiary institutions.”
According to the memo, these problems disproportionately affect young Nigerians pursuing higher education and have led to significant negative consequences, including poor socioeconomic welfare, diminished interest in academic activities, declining grades, and rising crime and violence on campuses.
The memo was signed by Comrade Obaji U. Marshal (NAUS), Amb. Comr. Eegunjobi Samuel Oluwaseun (NANCES), and Comr. Ridwan O. Munirudeen (NAPS).
They said, “The current economic quagmire, marked by soaring living costs and inadequate institutional support, has created an environment of increased crime and violence among students,” the memo states.
“The government’s failure to provide effective immediate and long-term relief has prompted this national protest.”
The unions call on federal and state governments to take immediate and effective measures to address the economic hardships faced by students.
The memo says, “Furthermore, the inability of federal, state and local governments to provide adequate immediate and long-term palliatives, especially for Nigerian students, to cushion the effect of the high cost of living, is rather disappointing and also raises the alarm of the student movement in the country, of a seeming lack of initiatives and ideas on the most effective approach to sustainable economic recovery and growth.
“Hence, the trio of NAUS, NAPS and NANCES, representing the voices of millions of Nigerian students emphatically condemns the lackadaisical attitude of the Government and declares a National Day of Protest for Nigerian students starting from Monday, July 29th, 2024 till further notice having communicated the government through various means including media but nothing has been done.”
After the call for protests began to gain ground, the Federal Government, governors and the security establishment have been trying to dissuade organisers from going ahead with the protest.
On Wednesday, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) held a meeting in Abuja, starting Wednesday night and ending early Thursday.
NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, shared that the meeting featured a briefing from the National Security Adviser (NSA), who highlighted the increasing momentum for the protests and assured support in enhancing state security.
President Bola Tinubu, through the Information Minister, had appealed for patience and called for postponing the protests.
The minister said, “You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in the freedom of everyone within the confines of the law to do what he thinks is right for him.
“Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protest of any kind but the President is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“He believes and has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.
“Why everybody is very cautious and very weary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world.
“We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands.”
