The Student Wing of the Northern Youth Frontiers has raised concerns over worsening insecurity around tertiary institutions in the North, warning that persistent attacks by bandits and kidnappers are undermining access to education and threatening the future of thousands of students in the region.
The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency joint congress of student leaders, campus delegates, and youth stakeholders from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, held in Abuja.
The communiqué stated that many tertiary institutions and off-campus student communities in the North remain vulnerable to attacks, forcing students to live in fear while pursuing their education.
“We urgently appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intensify security efforts across Northern campuses, which remain vulnerable to threats from bandits and kidnappers,” the communiqué read.
The congress called for increased investment in the Safe Schools Initiative and demanded a stronger security presence around universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the region. Specifically, they called for the aggressive funding of the Safe Schools Initiative, alongside the deployment of specialised, round-the-clock military and police patrols around tertiary institutions, off-campus student residential zones, and critical transit routes.
The group warned that insecurity has continued to disrupt academic activities, heighten anxiety among parents and students, and worsen educational challenges in the North.
The students, however, commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the student loan scheme under NELFUND, describing it as a critical intervention that has restored hope to indigent students struggling with tuition and living expenses. They noted that over N72 billion has been disbursed directly into students’ accounts as monthly upkeep support.
The students passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu and the Managing Director of NELFUND, urging the Federal Government not to allow insecurity to erode the benefits of the programme, stressing that access to education can only improve in an environment where students feel safe.
