The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed concerns over the failure of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to resolve the prolonged non-payment of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowances owed to students across tertiary institutions nationwide.

A statement by the Assistant Secretary General, National, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comr. Adejuwon Olatunji Emmanuel noted that for several years, thousands of students who dutifully participated in the SIWES programme have been denied their statutory entitlements.

NANS said that despite repeated complaints, petitions, and engagements by students’ bodies and stakeholders, the situation has remained unresolved.

The student body called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene by ordering a comprehensive forensic audit of SIWES funds and ensuring that all outstanding allowances are paid without further delay.

It said, “We express deep outrage over the persistent and unjustifiable failure of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to resolve the prolonged non-payment of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowances owed to Nigerian students across tertiary institutions nationwide.

“This failure has subjected students to severe financial hardship and has undermined the credibility of a programme established to promote skills acquisition, employability, and national workforce development.

“Also, we hereby issue a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to take decisive action on this matter.

“Failure to act within this period will be interpreted as institutional indifference to the plight of Nigerian students and will compel us to escalate its response through all democratic means available.

“Furthermore, we call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately invite the ITF leadership for a thorough investigation and explanation regarding the unpaid SIWES allowances. Nigerian students and the general public deserve a full account of how SIWES funds have been managed over the years.

“Nigerian students should not continue to pay the price for administrative incompetence or institutional negligence. SIWES is not a privilege; it is a statutory entitlement. Any leadership that consistently fails to honour this obligation has failed its mandate.”