The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed concern over the failure of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to address the long-standing issue of unpaid and delayed Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowances affecting Nigerian students across tertiary institutions nationwide.
NAN’s Assistant Secretary General, Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel, in a statement on Tuesday, said thousands of students who participated in the SIWES programme have reportedly been denied their statutory allowances for years.
“Despite repeated complaints, petitions, and engagements by students’ unions and stakeholders, the situation has remained largely unresolved, subjecting students to undue hardship and eroding confidence in an intervention programme designed to support skill acquisition and workforce development.
“We note with concern that under the leadership of the Director General of ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, there has been no clear, transparent, or comprehensive explanation to Nigerian students regarding the status of these outstanding payments.
“The continued silence, poor communication, and lack of accountability surrounding SIWES disbursements raise serious questions about administrative efficiency and institutional responsibility within the ITF,” he said.
He added that while the Union does not pre-empt the outcome of any investigation, the widespread allegations of fund mismanagement and diversion circulating among affected students were deeply troubling and demand urgent clarification.
“The federal government owes Nigerian students an obligation of transparency, especially on matters involving public funds earmarked for education and youth development”, the students said.
The students’ body called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene by ordering a comprehensive audit and investigation into the management of SIWES funds over the years.
“Pending the outcome of such an investigation, it is in the interest of institutional integrity and public confidence that the leadership of the ITF be reviewed. Where necessary, the Director-General should either step aside or be relieved of his duties to allow for an unhindered probe.
“Nigerian students should not continue to suffer for administrative failures. SIWES is not a privilege; it is a statutory entitlement. Any system that consistently denies students this right has failed its mandate,” the statement stated.
