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Nigeria Student Associations
Since 1962, when students prevented the government from
signing the Anglo-Nigerian Defense Pact, they have played
an
active role in influencing government actions. From the
1970s on,
they have engaged in violent protests and riots that have
sometimes resulted in fatalities. The grounds for these
riots
have ranged from narrow concerns, such as unacceptable
dining
facilities and boarding conditions, to broader national
issues,
such as the removal of government subsidies on petroleum
products, the SAP, and repressive government. Since 1977
no year
has passed without one university or other institution of
higher
learning being closed because of violent student protests.
The
most dramatic were the 1978 "Ali must go" riots, in which
all
universities in the country protested a rise in the costs
of
university education; and the 1989 anti-SAP riots, which
claimed
many lives.
Student activities were coordinated nationally by the
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which
has
operated underground since its proscription in 1986. Every
institution of higher learning had a student union. Until
1986,
when the Justice Mohammad panel recommended voluntary
membership
as a way to check student protests, membership in student
unions
was compulsory. There were several other student
associations,
such as voluntary groups and religious associations, which
also
articulated students' interests.
Data as of June 1991
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