NANS Constitutes Verification Committee, Appoints Ali Amtai Saidu As Chairman

From: Mustapha Aminu 

The National President of National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babtee Babatunde, has constituted a high powered committee on north east development commission Nedc educational intervention projects verification and monitoring. The announcement comes at a critical time when the federal government has committed significant public investment to rebuild and expand educational infrastructure in the North East following years of disruption. With academic sessions resuming and new projects being rolled out across the region, Nans said the timing demands immediate oversight to ensure that resources translate into classrooms, laboratories, scholarships and learning materials for students.

Given the scale of public investment committed to educational development in the North East, NANS said it has become necessary to establish an independent monitoring framework without delay. The association noted that students cannot afford another cycle of abandoned projects, substandard facilities or interventions that fail to reach intended beneficiaries. By setting up the committee now, Nans aims to verify project implementation in real time, assess impact on campuses and communities, identify gaps early, and push for corrections before funds are exhausted. The urgency, according to the national president, is to protect the interests of Nigerian students nationwide and those in the North East in particular who have waited longest for quality education.

The committee is hereby constituted as follows. Chairman, Comrade Ali Amtai Saidu. Vice Chairman, Comrade Abubakar Abdulkadir. Members, Comrade Obrahim Usman Maga, Comrade Bukar Abubakar Gana also known as Igwe, Comrade Sulaiman Umar Chinade, Comrade Aliyu Sulaiman Aliyu, and Comrade Philip Peter Achagwa. Secretary, Prince Muhammed Sani Hassan also known as Lastdon. Nans explained that the composition reflects geographical spread, experience in student leadership, and a firm commitment to transparency. The leadership is expected to commence work immediately and maintain regular engagements with stakeholders across the six states of the North East.

The committee shall undertake independent verification exercises, monitor educational projects and interventions executed by the commission, engage beneficiary institutions and communities, assess implementation effectiveness, and provide evidence based reports to guide policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement. Specifically, members are mandated to visit project sites, confirm the quality and timeline of delivery, interface with school authorities, student unions and community leaders, and document challenges affecting access and learning outcomes. Nans stressed that these activities must be carried out promptly to match the current phase of Nedc project rollout and to ensure students benefit within this academic cycle.

For record and emphasis, NANS clarified that these appointments and the constitution of the committee are not intended to duplicate the statutory responsibilities of government agencies. Rather, they are designed to strengthen constructive student participation, transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement in educational development initiatives. The association said student involvement at this stage will serve as an early warning system and a feedback mechanism that helps the commission, state governments and partners to deliver better results. The national president urged all institutions and officials in the region to accord the committee full cooperation.

Nans called for urgent and full compliance with the committee’s mandate, noting that the benefits must be felt directly by Nigerian students. The association said the North East has unique educational needs and cannot afford delays in the delivery of schools, hostels, ICT centers and scholarship programs. With this intervention, Nans aims to ensure that every naira invested by Nedc yields measurable outcomes for learners. Comrade Akinteye Babtee Babatunde reaffirmed that the association will continue to stand with students and will publish periodic reports to keep the public informed on progress, gaps and recommendations.

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