President Bola Tinubu has distributed palliative relief, including rice, to Student Union Government (SUG) Presidents nationwide. Coordinated by Asefon Sunday, the initiative highlights Tinubu's commitment to students' welfare. Representatives from all 36 states received the aid, marking the first such distribution in Nigeria's history.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently provided palliative relief to Student Union Government (SUG) Presidents from across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The event took place in Abuja, coordinated by the Special Adviser on Students Engagement, Asefon Sunday. This distribution, which included bags of rice, marks a historic moment in Nigerian politics, as it is the first time a president has reached out to student leaders in such a manner.
The gesture aligns with Tinubu’s ongoing efforts to support the academic community and demonstrate the government’s commitment to students. Asefon noted that the rice, which arrived late in December 2024, was handed over to representatives from each zone, with two SUG Presidents chosen per region to manage the distribution.
One of the student leaders, Fahad Abdullahi, SUG President of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, expressed gratitude for the initiative, calling it a significant step in improving student welfare. He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the rice distribution as pivotal moves by the President to engage with the nation’s youth. Asefon also promised that more initiatives aimed at benefiting students would follow in the future, further strengthening the relationship between the government and Nigeria’s student population.
However, many Nigerians took to social media to voice mixed reactions. While some appreciated the gesture, others criticized it, calling it a mere attempt to buy student leaders' loyalty. "How did a first-class accountant reduce governance to rice palliatives?" one critic remarked. Others questioned if such symbolic gestures were truly beneficial, while some saw it as an effort to win over the younger population ahead of upcoming elections.
