NANS Moves to Collect ₦200 Annual Dues Directly From Students

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has indicated that payment of its proposed annual ₦200 dues could become a requirement for students seeking mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed this in Facebook posts on Sunday and Monday while explaining the association’s financial challenges and its plans to change the way its dues are collected.

Babatunde had earlier disclosed that NANS would collaborate with the NYSC, adding that students might be required to present evidence of payment of the association’s dues before being mobilised for camp.

He wrote, “We will be working with NYSC and one of the criteria to be mobilised for camp is NANS dues receipt.”

However, in a video shared on Monday, Babatunde explained that NANS was considering a system that would enable it to collect its annual dues directly from students, rather than depending on student union governments and institutional managements.

He said the proposed annual dues were only ₦200 per student, stressing that the initiative was not designed to impose an additional financial burden on students but to provide NANS with the resources required to function independently and effectively represent students.

He said, “This is not an avenue to stress the students further because the due is as low as 200 Naira per student in a year, 200 Naira one year per student.”

According to Babatunde, the funds would be distributed across NANS’ various structures, including the zonal and state levels, as well as affiliated student bodies.

He said the association had in recent years faced difficulties receiving the expected capitation from student union governments, prompting the consideration of direct collection from students.

He said, “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.”

The NANS president alleged that between 80 and 90 per cent of student union governments were no longer in control of their dues, claiming that some institutions released only a portion of the funds collected to their student unions.

He said the situation had weakened the association financially and limited its capacity to intervene in issues affecting students.

Babatunde also cited the University of Benin as an example, alleging that the institution’s management frustrated efforts by the student union government to access its dues after the union opposed an increase in school fees.

He, however, maintained that students could not expect NANS to operate effectively and represent their interests without contributing financially to the organisation.