…Says administration empowered 200 students, secured review of RUGIPO late-payment penalties, launched council website
The outgoing Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC), Ondo State Axis, Comrade Adekanye Mayomi Adeboye, popularly known as INEC, has highlighted the achievements of his administration, citing student empowerment, educational advocacy, digital transformation and welfare initiatives as major milestones of his tenure.
Adeboye, who made this known in his valedictory address at the end of his administration, said the tenure, which operated under the theme “The Unified and Redefined Era,” was driven by a commitment to unity, institutional development and practical interventions aimed at improving the welfare of students across Ondo State.
He said the administration pursued initiatives beyond conventional student activism, focusing on entrepreneurship, academic development, health awareness, sports, civic participation and engagement with government and tertiary institution authorities.
One of the major initiatives highlighted was the From Student to CEO Entrepreneurship Summit, held on August 31, 2026, in honour of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. According to Adeboye, approximately 200 students benefited from business start-up equipment, including hair dryers, clippers, washing machines, generators, ovens and refrigerators, to support their entrepreneurial ambitions.
The outgoing chairman also disclosed that his administration engaged the management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, in September 2026 over a newly introduced weekly late-payment penalty of N5,000 on school fees.
He said the engagement resulted in a review of the policy and the removal of penalties that had already accrued, describing the intervention as part of efforts to reduce the financial burden on students and their families.
On the crisis affecting state-owned universities, Adeboye said the council sustained advocacy for improved funding and the resolution of disputes between university managements, governments and academic unions. He claimed that the council’s efforts contributed to an increase of more than 400 per cent in allocations for state universities.
He also recalled the council’s engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko chapter, on August 19, 2026, over the ongoing strike, staff welfare, outstanding obligations and the implementation of agreements.
In a further effort to strengthen the council’s institutional capacity, Adeboye said his administration launched the official NANS JCC Ondo Axis website on August 31, 2026, through the Office of the General Secretary, Comrade Oladele Oluwafemi Emmanuel, popularly known as Fresh Diamond.
He described the website as a platform for improving communication, preserving institutional records and enhancing public access to the council’s activities.
The administration also launched The Redefining Strides, described by Adeboye as the first NANS JCC Ondo Axis magazine, in October 2026. He said the publication was designed to document the council’s programmes and preserve its history for future generations of student leaders.
Other initiatives listed in the valedictory address included a statewide sports festival held at Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, from August 24 to 28, 2026; the first edition of NANS Week; inter-campus trade fairs at Adeyemi Federal University of Education and the Federal University of Technology, Akure; and health awareness campaigns across selected campuses.
The NANS Week programme featured an Anatomy of Power symposium and an inter-institutional quiz competition involving all nine institutions in the state. The top three institutions received cash prizes of N200,000, N150,000 and N100,000, respectively.
Adeboye further said the council conducted a three-day Permanent Voter’s Card mobilisation exercise across campuses in July 2026, recording approximately 1,200 student registrations.
The administration also organised a men’s mental health symposium, a statewide radio dialogue on campus safety and accommodation, an orphanage outreach, and initiatives aimed at tackling drug abuse and promoting academic excellence.
Other achievements cited included a community policing and institutional security symposium, a spelling bee competition, an inter-campus debate, a friendly football match between NANS and the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS), and engagements with security agencies and government officials.
The outgoing chairman also disclosed that the Ondo State Government, under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, donated a bus to the council in November 2025 to improve its mobility and operational capacity.
He said the administration also facilitated the reopening of the school fees and course registration portal at OAU STECH in August 2025 following consultations with the institution’s vice-chancellor.
Reflecting on the administration’s broader achievements, Adeboye said the initiatives were designed to demonstrate that student leadership should extend beyond protests and public statements to include empowerment, constructive engagement, intellectual development and social responsibility.
He, however, acknowledged that the administration did not resolve every challenge confronting students, noting that the cost of education, financial hardship, accommodation, unemployment, infrastructure deficits and disruptions to academic calendars remained major concerns.
“No administration can resolve every problem within a single tenure. What matters is the willingness to confront those problems, pursue practical solutions, and leave behind a foundation upon which others can build,” he said.
Adeboye expressed appreciation to members of the outgoing executive council, directors, appointees, advisers, committee members, student union presidents, campus representatives, institutional authorities and other stakeholders who contributed to the administration’s programmes.
He also thanked the Ondo State Government, the Minister of Interior and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement, Hon Sunday Asefon, for their respective engagements and support for student-focused initiatives.
While acknowledging that there might have been disagreements, shortcomings and unmet expectations during his tenure, the outgoing chairman appealed to those who felt disappointed by aspects of the administration to forgive him, stressing that leadership required humility and a willingness to learn from criticism.
He urged the incoming leadership to consolidate the gains of the outgoing administration, improve on areas requiring attention and preserve the council’s institutional memory.
“Leadership should not be a contest in which each incoming administration seeks to erase the contributions of its predecessors. It should be a continuing process in which every generation learns, improves, and leaves the institution stronger than it found it,” he said.
Adeboye maintained that the end of his chairmanship would not mark his withdrawal from student activism, pledging to remain committed to the welfare and advancement of Nigerian students.
He said the administration’s legacy should be measured not only by the programmes it organised but also by its commitment to unity, service, accountability, collaboration and the creation of opportunities for students.
“I leave office without claiming perfection, but with gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the development of our association,” he said, adding that the work of building a stronger student movement must continue beyond the tenure of any individual.
