The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has raised alarm over the continued non-payment of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowances, saying persistent failures by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) have subjected students nationwide to prolonged hardship.
The association said the unresolved delays have affected thousands of beneficiaries who completed the mandatory programme, warning that the situation has undermined confidence in an intervention meant to support skill acquisition and workforce development.
NANS Assistant Secretary General, Adejuwon Olatunji Emmanuel, said the lack of clarity from the Industrial Training Fund has worsened students’ frustration, stressing that repeated complaints and engagements have failed to yield meaningful resolution.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, Emmanuel said there had been no transparent explanation from the ITF under its Director-General, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, regarding outstanding SIWES payments across tertiary institutions.
“Despite repeated complaints, petitions, and engagements by students’ unions and stakeholders, the situation has remained largely unresolved, subjecting students to undue hardship,” the statement said.
The association urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a comprehensive audit of SIWES funds, insisting that “SIWES is not a privilege; it is a statutory entitlement.”
