NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (NANS)

 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (NANS)

25 September 2026

NANS RETRACTS EARLIER STATEMENT ON PROF. IBIYEMI OLATUNJI-BELLO’S COMMENT ON UNIVERSITY FUNDING

You will recall that the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) recently released a press statement concerning a statement credited to the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, regarding tuition fees, university funding and financial sustainability.

In the said statement, we decried the position we understood to be a call for Nigerian students to pay not less than #1 million in tuition fees and consequently described the position as an attempt to commercialize education and place additional financial burdens on Nigerian students.

However, after clarification from Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and further fact-finding, we have been able to establish that her position was misconstrued and that the widely circulated interpretation of her statement did not represent the context and intent of her position.

Therefore, it is noteworthy to state that the position of Professor Olatunji-Bello was not a call to commercialize education or an advocacy for public universities to impose a minimum tuition fee of #1 million on students.

Rather, her position was that the delivery of quality university education requires adequate funding and that the cost of providing quality education is significantly higher than what public universities currently charge. She emphasised the need for universities to pursue financial self-sustainability through innovation and diversified revenue streams.

As an organisation committed to the welfare and interests of Nigerian students, we acknowledge that our earlier statement was based on an interpretation that, upon further clarification and fact-finding, did not fully capture the context of Professor Olatunji-Bello’s position.

Consequently, we wish to unequivocally retract our earlier press statement titled “#1 Million Minimum Tuition Fees: Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello Goofed.” We withdraw the contents and conclusions contained therein and regret the misrepresentation of the position of Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello arising from our earlier publication.

While we remain firmly committed to accessible, affordable and quality education for all Nigerian students, we equally recognise the need for adequate funding, sustainability, innovation and alternative revenue-generation mechanisms within our universities.

We therefore encourage university managements to explore innovative and sustainable alternatives for funding university education without placing additional financial burdens on Nigerian students.

Conclusively, we call on all media outlets to refrain from misleading the public in the dissemination of information, particularly on sensitive national issues such as education. We urge all media outlets to verify facts before publishing reports.

As the apex student representative body in Nigeria, we remain committed to constructive dialogue and intellectual engagement in advocating for the advancement and collective interests of Nigerian students.

Signed:

Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, GCNS

President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)