The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C (North Central) has officially inaugurated its newly elected executive council alongside a regional stakeholder dialogue aimed at strengthening student unionism, educational reform, and youth leadership across the North Central geo-political zone.
The inauguration and dialogue ceremony took place on Saturday at the Rotana Hotel in Ilorin, Kwara State, under the theme “Empowering Students for Impact, Advancing Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership in North Central Nigeria.”
Delivering the welcome address as chief host, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olalekan Olohungbebe stated that the state government is executing target-driven educational reforms to position Kwara among Nigeria’s leading states in educational standards and human capital development.
Dr. Olohungbebe disclosed that the Kwara State Government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is reviewing tertiary bursary structures, with concrete plans to upwardly adjust bursary payments for indigenous students across higher institutions.
Speaking during the stakeholder dialogue, the General Manager of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), Dr. Abdulwasiu Olayinka Tejidini, highlighted the historical role of student unionism in grooming national leaders, assuring the student body of continuous state government support for capacity-building initiatives and youth empowerment.
In his remarks, the Plateau State Deputy Coordinator on Special Duties, Comrade Homsuk Bitpoe, commended the resilience of students in the region, noting that constructive student advocacy remains vital to democratic consolidation and regional growth.
The event featured a high-level panel discussion moderated by Comrade Aliyu Uthman Abdulkadri (Phodeo), Coordinator of Student Leadership & Policy Engagement, featuring contributions from Hon. Solomon Adodo, Dr. Sheriff Dayor Ibrahim of the North Central Development Commission, student leader Idris Safura of the University of Ilorin, and Abah Owoko representing NANS Progressive Family Chairman Dr. John Abbah Michael.
The newly sworn-in NANS Zone C Executive Council is led by Comrade Abiola Azeez Babatunde (CNS) of Kwara State University, Malete, as Coordinator, alongside Comrade Salihu Yusuf Umaru S. (Minna) as Secretary General, Comrade Ogah O. Blessing (Okene) as Financial Secretary, Comrade Adams Gabriel P. (Zuba) as PRO, Comrade Abdulkarim Ismail Akow (Ilorin) as Director of Action and Mobilisation, Comrade Kwarpo Iwue Ephraim (Pankshin) as Director of Campus Affairs, and Comrade Piental Hamun Ayuba as Director of Programmes.
In attendance at the gathering were the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Student Affairs, Hon. Salami Wasiu Onidugbe, alongside student delegates, union executives, and youth leaders from tertiary institutions across Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory.