National coordinator of PeacePro, AbdulRazaq Hamzat, has hailed the National Open University of Nigeria ( NOUN) management for recognising the Congress of NOUN Students (CONS) as a student union body.
Hamzat, a former student of NOUN, recalled how he and a co-student, Elias Ozikpu, in 2015 were expelled by the management of the university over their agitation for the recognition of CONS.
“Now, 10 years later, the tide has turned.
In a development that has stunned many and delighted others, NOUN has finally recognised the Congress of NOUN Students (CONS) as the official voice of the student body. The move, long resisted by previous university administrations, has been heralded as a significant breakthrough in student-management relations at the institution”, he said.
“This is a victory for reason and justice. It validates everything we fought for—a university that listens to its students, rather than punishing them for having a voice,” Hamzat said in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He added:” NOUN, established to provide flexible and inclusive education across Nigeria, had ironically developed a reputation for excluding its students from key decision-making processes. Unlike other universities with vibrant student unions, NOUN remained detached, with management often operating top-down.
” When Hamzat and Ozikpu spearheaded the formation of CONS and submitted a peaceful list of demands, it was met with swift retaliation. Expulsion letters arrived just days later, signed by the then vice chancellor, Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe.
” But Hamzat and Ozikpu didn’t disappear quietly. They became symbols of student resistance and advocates for institutional reform. Hamzat, who went on to lead the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), took the matter to court and fought a public battle to restore their reputations.
“People thought we were crazy. Hamzat recalled. “But we weren’t fighting just for ourselves. We were fighting for generations of NOUN students who had no voice, no representation, and no real recourse.
“Fast forward to 2025, and the winds of change have finally swept through the university. Under a new administration, the Congress of NOUN Students has been formally adopted as the official student body. The newly inaugurated leadership, headed by Comrade Newland Uche is now working hand-in-hand with the university to chart a new course for student inclusion.”
Hamzat praised the maturity and strategic vision of the current student leaders, calling their success “a sign that the long night is finally over.”
“Institutions must practice what they teach. If you teach justice, you must also live it. That’s what makes education transformative,” he said.
