The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced plans for a nationwide protest that will effectively shut down major cities across Nigeria, beginning on September 15, 2024.
This action comes in response to the recent increase in fuel prices and what the student union describes as the “gross incompetence” of Mele Kyari, the Director General of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
NANS is demanding an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and the removal of Kyari from his position. The student body has emphasized that the protests will be peaceful and conducted within the bounds of the law, but warned that they will persist until their demands are met.
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In a circular distributed to stakeholders, NANS outlined their plans and called on all Nigerian students to join the protests. The statement read, “We write to notify you of an impending massive shutdown of all major cities in Nigeria, effective 15th September 2024, in protest of the recent hike in fuel prices and the gross incompetence of the NNPC Director General, Mele Kyari.
“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. We demand an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and the removal of Mr. Kyari as the NNPC DG.
“We call on all Nigerian students across the country to wake up to this clarion call, as we will be occupying all major cities on the 15th of September, 2024. 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.”
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NANS has also notified various security agencies, including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Police Force, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff and all state governors, about their plans. They have requested that necessary measures be taken to maintain law and order during the shutdown, asserting that the protest will be peaceful.
The student union’s declaration comes at a time of widespread public discontent over the rising cost of living in Nigeria, driven in part by the escalating fuel prices. This protest marks a significant escalation in the opposition to the government’s economic policies, particularly those affecting the energy sector.
As the September 15 deadline approaches, there is growing anticipation over how the situation will unfold and how the federal government will respond to the students’ demands.
The potential for major disruptions across the country looms large as NANS prepares to make its stand.
