The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for a “National Day of Action” on January 14, 2026, to protest the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s new tax laws, which took effect on January 1.
NANS President Olushola Oladoja announced that the student body is mobilizing for a peaceful mass protest in Abuja, starting at the Unity Fountain and culminating at the Presidential Villa, unless the government suspends the law.
The group is demanding an immediate suspension of the Tax Reform Law and the removal of the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for alleged incompetence.
The protest stems from concerns that the new laws threaten the future of tertiary education by replacing the Tertiary Education Tax with a “Development Levy,” which would redirect funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to a Student Education Loan Fund.
NANS argues this will leave universities underfunded and burden graduates with debt.
The student body joins other groups, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigerian Bar Association, in opposing the reforms, citing a lack of transparency and unresolved discrepancies in the law.
Despite the widespread objections, the presidency has stated that implementation will proceed as planned.
