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CJAN, ASSW Call For Student Airfare Framework, Review Of Aviation Taxes in Nigeria

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As Nigeria begins the 2026 calendar year, the Corpers’ Journey Advocacy Network, CJAN, and the Association for Students’ Social Welfare, ASSW, have called on the Federal Government to introduce structured student airfare policies and review aviation taxes, warning that rising air travel costs are increasingly limiting access to education and skills development.

The appeal was contained in a joint press statement signed by Taiwo Ajayi, Founder of CJAN; Boluwatife Adedokun, Executive Director of CJAN; Boluwatife Fakorede Adedoyin, Community Outreach Coordinator of CJAN; and Victor Adetolaju, Founder and National Coordinator of ASSW.

In the statement, the organisations urged government and aviation regulators to prioritise affordable air travel for students, describing mobility as critical to education, research collaboration and national development.

They called for clear and enforceable student airfare frameworks covering both domestic and international routes, alongside a comprehensive review of what they described as the heavy tax burden on the aviation sector, which continues to push ticket prices upward.

While acknowledging recent airline-led student discount initiatives on select international routes, including those offered by Air Peace, the groups stressed that such discounts remain voluntary corporate promotions and are not guaranteed or consistent.

“Students cannot plan their academic futures on the basis of temporary promotions. Current discounts depend on airline discretion, route availability and time-bound policies,” the noted.

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, CJAN and ASSW referenced data showing that more than 90,000 Nigerians study abroad annually, with billions of dollars spent on foreign education each year.

Domestically, they noted that rising airfares between states are affecting students travelling for admissions processes, academic conferences, industrial training, competitions and research activities.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, Taiwo Ajayi, Founder of CJAN, said student mobility should be treated as a national investment rather than a luxury.

He said.“When students are denied access to opportunities because of high travel costs, Nigeria loses innovation, research output and human capital growth. Supporting student mobility in 2026 should be seen as a strategic investment in the country’s future workforce.”

Boluwatife Adedokun, Executive Director of CJAN, said the new year should mark a shift from ad-hoc interventions to long-term policy solutions.

“We commend airlines that have introduced student discounts, but reliance on short-term promotions is not sustainable. Students need transparent, year-round frameworks for both domestic and international travel,” Adesosun said.

On the grassroots impact, Boluwatife Fakorede Adedoyin, Community Outreach Coordinator of CJAN, said structured travel support would significantly expand students’ academic and global exposure.

“Affordable air travel would allow more Nigerian students to participate in research, exchange programmes and specialised learning. These opportunities shape students into agents of change,” Adedoyin said.

Also speaking, Victor Adetolaju, Founder and National Coordinator of ASSW and the Students Chamber of Commerce, linked student mobility to broader economic and development goals.

He said, “Students are not just learners; they are national assets and future leaders. High aviation taxes increase airline operating costs, raise fares and ultimately restrict access. Reducing these barriers is essential for national development.”

The groups expressed concern over the Tax Reform Act 2025, which takes effect in January 2026 and removes previous exemptions on aircraft, spare parts and airline tickets, making them subject to value-added tax and other duties.

Industry analysts have warned that the changes could further increase operating costs for airlines and translate into higher fares for passengers.

As part of their New Year appeal, CJAN and ASSW urged the Federal Government, the Ministry of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, revenue authorities and airline operators to reassess aviation taxes and levies, engage stakeholders to balance revenue generation with affordability, and introduce structured student fare programmes supported by clear policy incentives.

They said easing the tax and operational burden on airlines would expand student mobility in 2026, strengthen access to education and research opportunities, and contribute to Nigeria’s human capital development and global competitiveness.

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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo

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Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.

The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.

PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.

Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.

He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.

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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.

The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.

“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.

According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.

The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.

“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”

It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.

The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.

“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.

The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.

The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.

According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.

“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.

It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.

The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.

“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.

The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”

It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.

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