President Bola Tinubu has extended palliative support to the Presidents of the Student Union Governments (SUG) across all 36 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, as part of his ongoing efforts to support students and the community.
The distribution of rice to the SUG Presidents was facilitated through the office of the Special Adviser on Students Engagement, Asefon Sunday.
During the rice distribution ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, Asefon explained that this gesture was part of the President’s broader commitment to supporting students, particularly during the holiday season. He noted that in December 2024, President Tinubu had already provided palliative support to student leaders in celebration of Christmas and the New Year.
“Today, by God’s grace, SUG Presidents across the Federation will also receive rice from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a leader who understands the importance of students not only as leaders of tomorrow but also as leaders of today,” Asefon said. He acknowledged that while the rice was intended to be distributed in December 2024, it had arrived late, around December 28th. Therefore, the decision was made to invite the SUG Presidents to Abuja for a personal handover of the palliative support. Two SUG Presidents were selected from each zone to represent their peers and manage the distribution.
Asefon also highlighted that this initiative was unprecedented in Nigeria’s history. “It has never happened in the history of this country that the President will reach out to stakeholders and student leaders, particularly SUG Presidents, in December. This is the first time it’s happening,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Asefon promised that students would continue to benefit from the Presidential initiative throughout 2024. “This will be a time for Nigerian youth and students to reflect and express their thoughts while engaging with the government. The students and youth of this country are now feeling the presence of the government and experiencing its impact,” he added.
Fahad Abdullahi, the SUG President of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, expressed gratitude for the President’s initiative. “We were informed that all SUG Presidents across the 36 states of the nation should come and receive rice, a gesture from the President. We are sincerely appreciative and commend him for these initiatives, starting with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and now the Rice Initiative. We are looking forward to more,” Abdullahi said.
