Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerian students to express disagreements with government policies honestly, saying the administration needs constructive criticism rather than applause.
Shettima made the call on Wednesday while receiving a delegation of national student leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he stressed the need to involve young people in decisions affecting the country.
“A government that hears only applause deprives itself of the knowledge required to serve,” he said, urging students to take an active role in shaping national policies.
“We do not need you for politics. We need you because you are the future of this country. What we have done differently is to give you a place in its present,” the vice president added.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was committed to improving access to education through financing reforms, student welfare programmes and engagement with academic staff.
Shettima described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as one of the government’s major interventions, saying it had helped students cope with financial difficulties and remain in school.
He also said the government was determined to prevent recurring strikes from disrupting academic activities in tertiary institutions.
“We are determined that recurring strikes should cease to dictate your academic calendar,” he said.
According to him, easing the immediate cost of education for parents would give families greater financial relief and enable students to concentrate on their studies.
Shettima also cited the appointment of Sunday Dayo as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement as part of efforts to strengthen communication between the government and students.
He assured the delegation that education, student welfare and youth inclusion would remain priorities under the administration’s human-capital development agenda.
However, the meeting also featured an expression of political support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Akinteye Afeez, said the association had established a national election mobilisation committee with a target of securing 10 million votes for the president across the six geopolitical zones.
“As core progressives, we identify with the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Afeez said.
He argued that the student body’s support was partly driven by the government’s education policies, particularly NELFUND, which he said had eased the financial challenges confronting students.
“For many years, financial hardship has forced many Nigerian students out of school. However, with NELFUND, our academic lives are no longer in doubt or threatened,” he said.
Afeez said NANS would work to defend the student loan initiative and ensure its continuity, adding that the association intended to mobilise students to support Tinubu’s re-election.
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