Akinteye Launches Bid for NANS Presidency With EPOCH Plan

Former National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Senate President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, has declared his bid for the presidency of the association, presenting a five-point programme he named EPOCH.

Akinteye, also known as Babtee, made the declaration before student leaders and stakeholders drawn from the six geopolitical zones, including zonal coordinators, Joint Campus Council officials, Students’ Union Government presidents and members of the press.

He said his decision to run was driven by service and not personal ambition, adding that his years in student leadership had prepared him for the demands of leading what he described as Nigeria’s apex student body.

The candidate said he had previously served in several positions within NANS, including Joint Campus Council Chairman, Vice President (External Affairs) and Senate President. Those roles, he said, exposed him to practical student problems in different parts of the country and shaped his understanding of national student priorities.

According to him, direct engagement with students across campuses gave him first-hand knowledge of welfare concerns, academic disruptions, access barriers and representation gaps that continue to affect the movement.

He said the legacy of student unionism from the National Union of Nigerian Students to present-day NANS remains rooted in defending students’ interests, and argued that the organisation must return to focused advocacy backed by accountable leadership.

Akinteye cited previous interventions to support his record. He said that as Vice President (External Affairs), he intervened in the registration crisis that left Direct Entry candidates stranded at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He said engagement with the JAMB Registrar helped decongest the centre and contributed to an extension of the registration deadline for affected candidates.

The former senate president also said he was involved in advocacy around the evacuation of Nigerian students caught in the Sudan conflict, noting that he personally received some returnees at the airport.

On prolonged university shutdowns, he said he joined student mobilisation against the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike, particularly in the South-West, and maintained that sustained pressure by student leaders helped push discussions toward resolution.

He further recalled leading a delegation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission headquarters over the alleged abduction of Federal University of Technology, Akure students. He said the engagement with authorities preceded the students’ release.

Akinteye added that he had taken part in interventions on other matters, including calls for justice in the death of a student at Ajayi Crowther University, advocacy for restoration of student union activities at the University of Benin, engagement with Dangote Group over immortalisation of slain Adekunle Ajasin University students, response to a hostel fire incident at Obafemi Awolowo University, and advocacy for clear communication on the Federal Government policy concerning certificates from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.

Presenting his campaign framework, he said EPOCH stands for Empowerment, Progress, Opportunity, Collaboration and Human Capacity Development.

He said the agenda is designed to strengthen student voice in policy conversations, improve welfare and academic support systems, widen access to scholarships and mentorship opportunities, deepen partnerships with institutions and development actors, and equip students with practical skills needed in today’s labour market.

Akinteye called on students nationwide to support what he called a new phase of purposeful leadership in NANS, saying the movement must combine principled advocacy with disciplined execution to deliver measurable results for students in every zone of the country.