The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC), Ondo State Axis, has suspended a protest that was scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in Akure, after the state government agreed to a series of interventions aimed at resolving a prolonged crisis affecting the state’s tertiary institutions.
In a statement signed by the association’s Chairman, Comrade Adekanye Mayomi; General Secretary, Comrade Oladele Oluwafemi; and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Johnpaul Alabi, NANS said the decision followed constructive engagement with the Ondo State Government over what it described as the prolonged disruption of academic activities and hardship facing students across the state.
NANS said its earlier call to mobilise students for the demonstration was driven by growing concern that ongoing disruptions to academic calendars at state-owned tertiary institutions had gone on for too long, stressing that “the future of Nigerian students must not be left on hold.”
According to the association, its leadership, headed by Adekanye, held talks with the state government on the challenges confronting students and the urgent need for intervention to restore stability across Ondo’s tertiary institutions.
NANS said the government responded with commitments aimed at strengthening state-owned tertiary institutions and addressing key issues at the heart of the ongoing industrial crisis. Central to this was Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s approval of an immediate 60 percent increase in monthly subventions to all state-owned tertiary institutions.
The association said the increase was expected to boost the institutions’ capacity to meet financial obligations, enable prompt payment of staff salaries, and improve the overall learning environment.
In addition, the governor approved the immediate implementation of the agreement previously reached between the Federal Government and university unions, extending its application across all relevant state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo State.
NANS described the two measures as important steps toward resolving welfare concerns among academic staff, restoring industrial harmony, and creating conditions for uninterrupted academic activity.
The association was careful to frame its role beyond street protest. “As the umbrella body representing Nigerian students across campuses in Ondo State, our responsibility is not merely to protest, but to engage, negotiate and demand concrete solutions whenever the interests of our students are threatened,” the statement read.
While welcoming the government’s intervention, NANS stressed that suspending the protest should not be read as an abandonment of its demands or a lowering of its guard. The group said it expects the announced resolutions particularly the 60 percent subvention increase and the implementation of the FG/Unions agreement to be carried out fully and without delay.
NANS also called on the management of tertiary institutions and other stakeholders to ensure the interventions translate into tangible improvements in staff welfare and, more importantly, in students’ academic experience.
The association commended the Ondo State Government for opting for dialogue and concrete action at what it called a critical moment for tertiary education in the state, but signalled that its advocacy is far from over.
“Nigerian students have suffered enough disruptions. Our classrooms must reopen. Our academic calendars must regain stability. Our future cannot remain on hold,” the group said, adding that it would continue monitoring implementation of the resolutions and remain engaged with government and institutional stakeholders.
“This is not the end of our advocacy; it is a step towards achieving the result we seek,” NANS stated.
