NANS Laments High Transport Costs, Seeks Relief for Students

The National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, North-Central Zone, has called on the Federal Government and relevant petroleum regulators to address rising transportation costs, warning that increasing petrol prices are making education more expensive for students.

The association also appealed to Aliko Dangote and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery to establish a dedicated support scheme to help students cope with rising transport fares and other education-related expenses.

The Coordinator of NANS North-Central Zone, Mr Abiola Babatunde, made the demands in a statement issued on Thursday, noting that fluctuations in petrol prices had consequences for students, parents and the wider education sector.

He said rising transport costs affected students who travelled to attend lectures, examinations, practical classes, clinical postings and industrial training. The additional expenses, he added, left many with less money for food, accommodation, textbooks, internet data and other academic necessities.

Babatunde said transportation affordability should be treated as an education and student-welfare concern rather than solely as a commercial issue. He also called on Dangote Refinery to provide clearer explanations for significant changes in its petrol prices, while acknowledging the importance of domestic refining to Nigeria’s energy security.

The association proposed the establishment of a Dangote Education Petroleum Trust Fund DEPT-FUND to provide sustained assistance to students affected by rising transport costs.

Under the proposal, the fund would provide targeted transport support, assist affordable campus transportation schemes and offer emergency relief to students whose financial circumstances threatened their ability to attend lectures, examinations and other compulsory academic activities.

NANS said the proposed fund should have a transparent governance structure involving refinery representatives, education stakeholders, student representatives and independent oversight professionals. It also called for periodic reports and independent audits showing how funds were spent and the number of students reached.

The association further urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to strengthen consumer-protection monitoring in the downstream petroleum market and investigate credible complaints where necessary.

It also called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to improve market monitoring and public communication about petroleum price movements.

While acknowledging that the FCCPC did not directly set petrol prices in a deregulated market, NANS maintained that deregulation should operate alongside transparency, fair competition and consumer protection.

The student body urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to develop sustainable interventions to reduce commuting expenses, describing transportation as a significant component of access to education.

It said it was prepared to engage the refinery, regulators and government institutions through dialogue, petitions and other lawful means to pursue the proposed measures.

NANS maintained that students should not continue to bear the full impact of rising costs across the petroleum and transportation value chain, calling for coordinated action to protect student welfare and educational access.