Benue tertiary institutions: NANS issues five-day ultimatum, plans Makurdi protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened nationwide mobilisation if the Benue State Government fails to resolve its disagreements with the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COASU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and reopen the state’s affected tertiary institutions.

The students’ body gave the government five days to resolve the disputes, saying students had been kept out of school for more than two months.

In a public notice signed by NANS Deputy Senate President, Caleb King Ogabidu, the association said the prolonged closure was unacceptable and posed a threat to the academic future of thousands of students.

It directed its structures across the country to begin preparations for a peaceful protest in Makurdi on Friday, September 25, 2026, should the government fail to meet its demands within the ultimatum.

The notice, titled, “Notice of Mass Mobilisation to Makurdi, Benue State — Friday 25th, September 2026 Over the Perpetual Closure of Tertiary Institutions in the State”, blamed the continued closure on what NANS called an “obvious negligence of education” by the state government.

“It isn’t news anymore that Nigerian students within Benue State have been out of school for over two months now and are still counting due to an obvious negligence of education by the state government, which is no longer tolerable,” NANS said.

The association maintained that education was fundamental to societal development.

“Education is the bedrock of every society, and it should be the core of any responsible government,” it stated.

Students demand end to COASU, ASUP disputes

NANS said its intervention was based on its responsibility as the apex students’ body to defend and advocate the interests and rights of Nigerian students locally and internationally.

The association’s first demand is for the Benue State Government to settle its outstanding disputes with the state chapters of COASU and ASUP.

It also wants the government to complete arrangements for the immediate return of students to their classrooms and restoration of normal academic activities.

The students’ body warned that failure to reach an agreement with the unions and reopen the institutions within five working days would prompt a nationwide mobilisation.

“That failure to reach an agreement and to return our students to their classrooms within 5 working days from today, we will be left with no option other than to mobilise our members across the country to drive home our demands,” the association stated.

NANS also warned against allowing the prolonged dispute to affect the students’ academic future.

“We cannot mortgage the destinies of thousands of our students on the altar of the government’s insensitivity,” it said.

Institutions affected

The tertiary institutions identified by NANS as affected by the strike and prolonged closure are Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo; Akpereshi Polytechnic, Yandev, Gboko; Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, Makurdi; Benue State College of Education, Oju; and College of Education, Katsina-Ala.

NANS appealed to students in the affected institutions to remain calm and steadfast, assuring them that its leadership was working to secure their return to school.

“We call on Nigerian students in the affected schools to remain steadfast as the leadership of NANS is fully committed to making sure that they’re returned to the classrooms,” it said.

The association consequently instructed all NANS structures to commence preparations for a peaceful demonstration once the ultimatum expires.

“Lastly, all NANS structures are by this notice advised to commence mobilisation for a peaceful demonstration on the expiration of this ultimatum to the State government,” NANS stated.

Africans Angle News