Nigerian Students in Turkey Elect New NANS Leadership for 2025/2026 Academic Session
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Turkey Zone, has successfully elected a new leadership to steer its affairs for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The announcement was made public on Tuesday through the verified X (formerly Twitter) account of Punch Newspapers, marking a significant development for the Nigerian student community across Turkish territories.
According to the report, the newly constituted leadership is expected to take immediate charge of the association’s responsibilities, ranging from student representation to welfare advocacy, academic support, and consular engagement.
While specific details regarding the names of the elected officers and their portfolios were not disclosed in the initial release, the election signals a renewed phase of organized student governance within the Turkish zone.
NANS Turkish Zone has, over the years, served as a unifying platform for Nigerian students studying in Turkey and surrounding regions. The body plays an essential role in defending the interests of Nigerian students abroad, engaging with host institutions, Nigerian embassies, and Turkish educational authorities to address academic, welfare, and diplomatic concerns.
The newly elected executives are expected to focus on key areas including the orientation and integration of new students, protection of student rights, facilitation of academic and cultural exchange programmes, and improved communication between students and Nigerian diplomatic missions in Turkey.
The association also serves as a bridge for promoting bilateral educational cooperation between Nigeria and Turkey.
This development comes at a time when the diaspora arm of NANS is expanding its reach and influence, with various international chapters becoming more active in promoting the rights and interests of Nigerian students in foreign institutions.
The elections in the Turkish Zone form part of a broader trend toward restructuring and energizing NANS’ overseas platforms to reflect the growing number of Nigerian scholars studying abroad.
In recent years, NANS-Turkey has been involved in organizing academic summits, celebrating Nigeria’s national events, mediating welfare issues involving students and Turkish authorities, and strengthening unity among the Nigerian student population in the region.
The new leadership is expected to release an official statement in the coming days outlining its agenda and strategic focus for the academic year. Their tenure will likely be measured by how effectively they respond to the everyday needs of students, promote academic excellence, and foster partnerships that benefit the broader Nigerian student diaspora in Turkey.
As the new team prepares to take on these responsibilities, many within the student community and beyond have welcomed the election as a timely opportunity to rejuvenate NANS activities in the Turkish zone and to build on the work of past administrations.
