Oreoluwa Koiki, a chairmanship aspirant for the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State Joint Campus Committee (JCC), has pledged to return student leadership to the campuses, citing a growing disconnect between current leadership structures and the realities faced by students.
Addressing Student Challenges
Koiki, who addressed journalists, student leaders, and stakeholders, said institutions across Ogun State are grappling with rising tuition fees, poor infrastructure, and increasing concerns over student welfare and security. He argued that student representation has shifted away from addressing these core issues, with leadership voices becoming more prominent in political spaces than within campuses.
According to him, the current trend has left Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) to tackle institutional challenges in isolation, creating what he described as a leadership vacuum within the student movement. He stressed the need for a leadership model that is physically present and actively engaged with students at the grassroots level.
Agenda for Campus-Based Leadership
Outlining his agenda, Koiki promised a “campus-based leadership” that would prioritize direct engagement with students and institutional authorities. He said his administration would ensure that the NANS Ogun JCC maintains a visible presence across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the state.
The aspirant also emphasized plans to strengthen collaboration among SUG leaders, noting that collective action would enable a unified response to challenges affecting students across different campuses. “When one campus is under pressure, the entire state must stand together,” he said.
Intellectual Diplomacy and Advocacy
Koiki further pledged to adopt what he described as “intellectual diplomacy” in engagements with school managements and government authorities, with the aim of advancing student interests through structured dialogue and policy-driven advocacy. He maintained that students in Ogun State deserve leadership that is accessible and responsive to their daily experiences, adding that his ambition is driven by a desire to reconnect leadership with the student base.
“The movement for a student-centered and campus-rooted JCC starts now,” Koiki said, adding that his campaign is focused on restoring influence and relevance to campus-level structures within the student body.
