The National Association of University Students (NAUS) has decorated the Commissioner for Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi, as its Grand Patron.
The National President of NAUS, Comr. Dr. Meshach Anthony Nwankwo, disclosed this during a courtesy visit and decoration ceremony held in Abuja.
Nwankwo said the decision to confer the honour on Elegushi followed extensive consultations, research and deliberations by the association’s leadership.
He described NAUS as a major platform representing Nigerian university students, with national, zonal, state and campus structures and an estimated 21.2 million students within its constituency.
According to him, the association considered Elegushi’s leadership record, experience and disposition to inclusive leadership before unanimously selecting him for the honour.
“We have decided unanimously that the only person we feel deserves to be inducted and institutionalised into the NAUS Hall of Fame is you,” Nwankwo told Elegushi.
He said the association was particularly interested in having a patron who could provide guidance, open doors and facilitate access to relevant stakeholders for initiatives aimed at improving students’ welfare.
Nwankwo also disclosed that NAUS, in collaboration with the National Association of Polytechnic Students and the National Association of Colleges of Education Students, had commenced plans for a 5,000-man rally in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He said the student bodies would subsequently embark on campus-to-campus mobilisation to communicate what they described as the achievements of the Renewed Hope administration in the education sector.
The NAUS president said the association intended to deploy various grassroots mobilisation strategies, including class-to-class and hostel-to hostel engagements, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He further told Elegushi that the student constituency would seek his guidance and support in advancing initiatives capable of improving the lives of Nigerian students.
Nwankwo said the decoration marked the beginning of a new relationship between NAUS and its Grand Patron, expressing confidence that Elegushi would provide the leadership and mentorship required by the association.
Accepting the honour, Elegushi expressed appreciation to NAUS, describing the recognition as significant because of the association’s nationwide structure.
He pledged to support the association and said he would not disappoint the students.
Elegushi, who said he started his political journey from the grassroots, expressed support for the Tinubu administration’s reforms and infrastructure development efforts.
He acknowledged the challenges facing the country, particularly insecurity, but said efforts to address them should also be recognised.
The commissioner urged the students to educate their colleagues on the electoral process and participate actively in promoting credible elections.
He also commended NAUS for its national character, urging the association to maintain unity and avoid ethnic considerations in its activities.
“I accepted the honour, and I will make sure that we work together for more development,” Elegushi said.