NANS President Olusola Oladoja Calls For Student Mobility To Foster African Unity

At the PYU International Youth Day Conference in Luanda, Angola, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Olusola Oladoja, called on African leaders and policymakers to make student exchanges, scholarships, and mobility programs a top priority, describing them as powerful tools for fostering unity across the continent.

Speaking as a panelist during a plenary session titled Youth-Driven Solutions: Building a Connected and Unified Africa, Oladoja said student mobility goes beyond academic benefits, calling it “a peace mission, a unity builder, and a leadership incubator.”

“Student exchanges, scholarships, and mobility programs are not just academic pathways—they are powerful engines of African unity,” he said. “They break down cultural and linguistic barriers, build lifelong friendships across borders, and help us see ourselves first as Africans before any other identity. When students move, ideas move. When ideas move, relationships grow. And when relationships grow, the dream of a united Africa stops being a slogan and becomes a living reality.”

Citing real-life experiences of students studying in other African countries, he noted that such opportunities expand perspectives, deepen appreciation for shared struggles, and strengthen dedication to building a continent driven by collective aspirations.

“If we truly want a united Africa, we must invest in moving our students—not just within classrooms, but across borders, cultures, and ideas. That is how we prepare a generation ready to lead our continent together,” Oladoja stressed.

The session was part of the high-level discussions at the PYU International Youth Conference, which brought together young leaders, policymakers, and development partners to explore youth-led solutions for integration, peace, and development in Africa. Oladoja’s remarks received a warm reception, with many delegates supporting his call for greater investment in student mobility as a pathway to a connected and unified Africa.