The Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is set to confront issues surrounding the 2027 general elections, fake and substandard drugs, student welfare and public safety when it holds its 91st Senate Sitting in Kaduna State.
The five-day sitting is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, September 30 to Sunday, October 4, 2026, bringing together NANS senators, Students’ Union presidents, national structures, accredited delegates from public tertiary institutions and other critical stakeholders from across the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 24, 2026, the President of the NANS Senate, Dist. Senator Ibeabuchi Moses Onyia, said the gathering would serve as a working session for the student movement to assess issues affecting Nigerian students and the wider society as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
Onyia said the Senate would place particular emphasis on the demand for free, fair and credible elections, insisting that Nigerian students should play a more active role in the democratic process.
“With the 2027 general elections approaching, the Senate will deliberate on issues of National importance that directly shape the future of our generation. Chief among them is our collective demand for a free, fair and credible election.
“Students are not spectators in Nigeria’s democracy. We are the largest block of young, informed and energised citizens, and the Senate will chart a clear principled charge for unprecedented participation of the student community ahead of 2027 as the largest voting block,” he said.
The NANS Senate will also take up the circulation of fake and substandard drugs, adulterated drinks and other unsafe consumables, with the student body expressing concern over their impact on public health.
According to Onyia, regulatory agencies must do more to prevent harmful products from reaching consumers, warning that failures in enforcement ultimately leave Nigerians to bear the consequences.
“Our streets remain flooded with fake and adulterated consumables, factories remain hidden, and convictions remain too few for the scale of the crime, the National Senate will not issue polite condolences,” he said.
He said the Senate would consider and, if necessary, resolve on a peaceful and lawful nationwide protest to the headquarters of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The proposed protest, according to the NANS Senate President, would demand stronger enforcement, transparency and accountability in the protection of Nigerians from unsafe products.
Beyond the 2027 elections and public health concerns, the Kaduna sitting will also examine issues relating to the safety of Nigerian citizens and the welfare of students.
The Senate is expected to assess the state of infrastructure and education standards in Kaduna State, its host state, and provide what Onyia described as honest and evidence-based observations aimed at supporting improvements.
The NANS leadership has consequently called on public tertiary institutions across Nigeria to mobilise their Students’ Union presidents and student representatives to attend the sitting.
“We therefore call on all public tertiary institutions in Nigeria to mobilise their Students’ Union Presidents and student representatives to participate fully in the 91st Senate Sitting in Kaduna,” Onyia said.
He described the meeting as an opportunity for students to define their position ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing the need for civic participation without political capture and voter education without partisanship.
“This is not a routine gathering. It is a platform where student voices will be heard. Your presence matters, and your voice counts. We will define the students’ direction: civic participation without capture; voter education without partisanship; and an uncompromising insistence that the ballot, not violence or money, must decide the future of this country,” he said.
Onyia directed campus leaderships to treat the Kaduna sitting as a national assignment and urged delegates to arrive early, maintain discipline and uphold the dignity and values of NANS.
“The Nigerian student is ready to lead, to speak, and to act,” the NANS Senate President declared.
