By Babatunji Wusu
• Praises Governor Umo Eno’s model schools, bursary scheme, and UK exchange programme
• Calls for urgent improvement in tertiary infrastructure and student welfare
• Seeks inclusion of student leaders in bursary payment committee for transparency
• Urges extension of bursary to students in state-owned institutions, including College of Nursing
• Requests funding for NAAKISS elections and creation of a State Scholarship Scheme
• Advocates teacher deployment to rural schools to sustain ARISE policy
• Announces solidarity walk of 1.1 million students to Government House on August 19, 2025
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to take further action in addressing pressing gaps in educational infrastructure and student welfare in the state’s tertiary institutions.
The appeal was made during a press conference in Uyo on August 11, 2025, attended by members of NANS’ National Executive Committee, Zonal Executive Committee, and the Joint Campus Committee (JCC) from Akwa Ibom.
While commending Governor Umo Eno for notable achievements — including the creation of model primary schools with free uniforms, a ₦1 billion bursary scheme, and the sponsorship of 39 students for a UK exchange programme — NANS stressed the need to expand these efforts to cover higher institutions more robustly.
The association demanded the inclusion of student leaders in the bursary payment committee to improve transparency and communication, and the extension of bursary benefits to students in state-owned institutions such as the Akwa Ibom State College of Nursing.
NANS also sought financial and logistical support for the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS Worldwide) to hold its global elections, and urged the establishment of a scholarship programme under the State Scholarship Board to complement the bursary scheme.
Additionally, the group called for urgent improvement of facilities in tertiary institutions and the recruitment and deployment of primary school teachers to rural communities to strengthen the state’s ARISE policy initiatives.
To push their demands forward, NANS announced plans to lead a solidarity walk involving over 1.1 million students to Government House, Uyo, on August 19, 2025, where they will present a hard copy of their demands and seek a direct audience with the governor.
The press statement was jointly signed by Heritage Akan Emmanuel Akpan, National Treasurer of NANS and Assistant Secretary of NANS Zone, and Emmanuel Peter, Chairman of NANS JCC Akwa Ibom State, on behalf of the NANS Akwa Ibom State caucus.
