The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced a nationwide protest set to begin on September 15, 2024. The student body has vowed to shut down all major cities across Nigeria in response to the recent fuel price hike and what they describe as the “gross incompetence” of the NNPC Director General, Mele Kyari.
This protest, which is expected to draw thousands of students from across the country, aims to force the government to reverse the fuel price increase and remove Kyari from his position as head of the NNPC. NANS President of the Senate, Okunomo Henry Adewumi, who signed the protest notification, emphasized that the student body can no longer remain silent in the face of rising hardship and economic strain caused by skyrocketing fuel prices.
In the official notice, NANS outlined their plan to occupy major cities nationwide, ensuring that their voices are heard loud and clear. “The incessant increase in fuel prices has brought untold hardship to the masses, and we can no longer stand idly by while our future is mortgaged by the actions of a few,” the notice stated.
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The student union’s demands are clear: an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and the removal of Mele Kyari as NNPC DG. NANS has assured the public that their protest will be peaceful and lawful, urging the government to take necessary measures to maintain law and order during the nationwide shutdown.
“We call on all Nigerian students across the country to wake up to this clarion call,” Adewumi declared. “We shall not be silenced, and we shall not be intimidated. We shall rise in unison to demand a better deal for Nigerian students and the masses.”
The student body has said that the planned protest will be one of the largest demonstrations in Nigeria’s recent history, with the potential to disrupt daily life and draw significant attention to the ongoing fuel crisis. As the September 15 date approaches, all eyes will be on the Nigerian government and its response to the students’ demands.
