The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Committee, Lagos State Axis, has called on the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately release and implement the report of the Special Visitation Panel set up to investigate the lingering leadership crisis at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos.
PUNCH Online reported in May that NANS Lagos had decried what it described as “a total collapse of governance” at the college. It accused the management of neglecting students and abandoning key academic responsibilities.
During a campus visit in April, the association reported widespread frustration among students, poorly maintained facilities, and an alleged breakdown in communication between the management and the student body.
The students’ body expressed worry that the institution had been “running on autopilot for over eight months” since the exit of the former provost, leaving a vacuum in leadership that has worsened administrative instability, infrastructure decay, and student welfare challenges.
However, in a statement signed by its chairman on Thursday, Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, the student body said its concern was heightened by the Federal Ministry of Education’s continued delay in releasing the report of the panel, more than two months after it concluded its assignment.
The association expressed “grave concern over the continued delay in releasing the report of the Federal Ministry of Education’s Special Visitation Panel.”
The panel, inaugurated on July 29, 2025, by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, was mandated to conduct a holistic investigation into the causes, nature, and consequences of the crisis that has crippled the college’s administration.
It concluded its sitting in August 2025 after receiving submissions from all stakeholders, which presented a position paper on how the leadership impasse had disrupted academic stability and governance at the institution.
Abdul-Quadri noted that “more than two months have passed, yet the report of the panel has not been made public nor acted upon.”
He said the Ministry’s inaction had “left the college in a deeper state of uncertainty, without an active Provost, without effective management, and without direction.”
He warned that the continued silence was worsening conditions for both students and staff.
“The absence of leadership has paralysed administrative processes, disrupted academic order, and endangered the welfare of both students and staff,” the statement added.
The students’ leader urged the Minister of Education to take swift action to restore normalcy, saying, “As the coordinating body for all tertiary institutions in Lagos State, NANS JCC Lagos calls on the Honourable Minister of Education to give immediate attention and priority to the release and implementation of the visitation panel’s report.”
He said the ongoing delay risked eroding confidence in due process and could prolong the suffering of innocent students who only sought a stable and conducive learning environment.
Abdul-Quadri stressed that students must not continue to suffer from bureaucratic and political indecision.
“We reiterate that students must not continue to bear the brunt of political or administrative delays. The Honourable Minister of Education must, as a matter of urgency, approve and implement the recommendations of the panel to restore peace, accountability, and functional leadership at FCE(T) Akoka,” he said.
He concluded by reaffirming NANS Lagos’ resolve to continue pushing for reforms in tertiary education management.
“Nigerian students will not fold their arms while institutions collapse due to administrative negligence. We will continue to demand accountability, transparency, and functional leadership in all our campuses,” he declared.
