Ibrahim Muhammad
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has launched a nationwide advocacy campaign urging tertiary institutions in Kano and across Nigeria to end the practice of expelling students.
In a statement signed by Comrade Muddassir Hamza Dankaka, Public Relations Officer of NANS Joint Campus Committee (JCC), Kano Axis, the association announced the commencement of its new initiative titled “Education Over Expulsion.”
According to NANS, the campaign seeks to encourage higher institutions to prioritize academic reform and rehabilitation over punitive measures. The group emphasized that many young people involved in social vices and criminal activities are often school dropouts — victims of an educational system that denied them a second chance.
“When you expel a student, you don’t just remove them from school — you push them toward the streets. And the street rarely forgives,” the statement read.
The association appealed to higher institutions, the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and other education stakeholders to adopt compassionate, reform-based academic policies. It called for mechanisms that would allow struggling students to repeat a session instead of being expelled outright.
“A failed grade should not be a death sentence. Give our students the chance to rebuild. Most of the crimes among our youth are committed by those who once sat in classrooms but were denied another opportunity,” NANS stated.
As part of the campaign, the association announced plans to organize a series of campus engagements, policy dialogues, and community media awareness programs across tertiary institutions in Kano to promote student retention, mentorship, and academic guidance.
NANS JCC Kano Axis also urged media organizations, youth groups, and policymakers to support the initiative, stressing that “when we invest in second chances, we invest in peace, productivity, and purpose.”
