NANS laments high transport costs, seeks relief for students
The National Association of Nigerian Students, North-Central Zone, has urged the Federal Government and relevant petroleum regulators to address the impact of rising petrol prices on transportation costs, warning that the burden is making education increasingly expensive for students.
The association also called on Aliko Dangote and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery to establish a dedicated student-support scheme to cushion the effects of petroleum price fluctuations on transportation and other education-related expenses.
The demands were contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Coordinator of NANS North-Central Zone, Abiola Babatunde, who said the consequences of petrol price changes extended beyond the petroleum market to students, parents and the wider education sector.
According to the association, fluctuations in petrol prices affect the cost of transportation, food and logistics, placing additional financial pressure on students who must travel to attend lectures, examinations, practical classes, clinical postings and industrial training.
NANS said transportation affordability should be treated as an education and student-welfare concern rather than merely a commercial issue.
“Education becomes increasingly difficult when the cost of reaching the classroom becomes increasingly unaffordable,” the association stated.
It argued that rising commuting expenses could leave students with less money for feeding, accommodation, textbooks, internet data and other essential academic materials.
The association noted that parents and guardians also faced increased financial pressure as they struggled to meet the cost of educating their children amid rising living expenses.
NANS acknowledged the importance of domestic refining to Nigeria’s energy security but called on Dangote Refinery to provide clearer explanations for significant changes in its petrol prices.
The association cited reports that the refinery raised its petrol ex-gantry price from ₦1,265 to ₦1,350 per litre, effective September 12, 2026, before reducing it to a reported ₦1,325 per litre on September 21, 2026.
It clarified that the figures were intended to illustrate recent price movements and were not being presented as the refinery’s current price.
“Our position is not anti-investment or anti-business. Our position is pro-student, pro-consumer and pro-transparency,” the statement added.
NANS said consumers deserved understandable information on the factors behind significant price adjustments, including crude oil prices, foreign exchange movements, refining costs, logistics and supply conditions.
Beyond demanding transparency, the association proposed the establishment of a Dangote Education Petroleum Trust Fund, known as DEPT-FUND, to provide sustained assistance to students affected by rising transportation costs.
It said the proposed initiative should go beyond occasional donations or short-term corporate social responsibility campaigns and operate as a structured, long-term educational support programme.
Under the proposal, the fund would provide targeted transportation assistance, support affordable campus transport schemes and offer emergency relief to students whose financial difficulties threatened their ability to attend lectures, examinations and other compulsory academic activities.
The initiative would also cater to students whose programmes required regular travel for clinical postings, fieldwork, industrial training and other academic engagements.
NANS called for a transparent governance structure involving Dangote representatives, education stakeholders, student representatives and independent oversight professionals.
It said periodic reports should disclose funds committed and disbursed, the number of students reached, institutions supported, projects implemented and measurable outcomes, alongside independent audit information.
“Every naira committed to DEPT-FUND should be traceable to a measurable benefit to Nigerian students,” the association stated.
The student body said it was prepared to engage Dangote Refinery and other stakeholders to develop a practical framework for implementing the proposed intervention.
It also urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to strengthen monitoring of consumer-protection and competition concerns in the downstream petroleum market, investigate credible complaints and enforce relevant laws where violations were established.
NANS acknowledged that the FCCPC did not directly set petrol prices in a deregulated market but maintained that its consumer-protection responsibilities remained important.
The association similarly called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to strengthen market monitoring and improve public communication about petroleum price developments.
“A deregulated market does not mean an unregulated market,” it stated, adding that market-driven pricing should operate alongside transparency, fair competition, market integrity and consumer protection.
NANS further urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable interventions to reduce the transportation burden on students and recognise commuting expenses as a significant component of education affordability.
The association said it would pursue dialogue, petitions and engagement with the refinery, regulators, government institutions and education stakeholders to press its demands.
“We will engage. We will write. We will petition. We will convene. We will present solutions,” the statement said.
It added that the association was prepared to pursue lawful and peaceful means of protecting students’ interests where necessary.
“Nigerian students cannot continually become the shock absorbers for every increase across the petroleum and transportation value chain,” NANS stated.
The association maintained that the issue extended beyond the price of petrol to access to education, student welfare, consumer protection and Nigeria’s human-capital development.
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