The leadership and entire membership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), North Central Zone, warmly congratulate Comr. Mercy Solomon on her emergence as the newly elected Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) at the just-concluded NAPS National Convention held in Abuja.
Her emergence is a moment of immense pride for the North Central Zone and a significant addition to the new national leadership of the Association. It represents the confidence reposed in her leadership capacity and provides her with an important platform to contribute to the strengthening of relationships and collaboration among polytechnic students, student leaders and institutions across the country.
The office of Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs, carries a unique responsibility within the national structure of NAPS. Nigeria’s polytechnic community is made up of institutions with different histories, traditions, academic environments and student leadership structures, yet they remain connected by a common identity and shared aspirations. Building meaningful connections among these institutions requires leadership that understands the importance of communication, collaboration, inclusiveness and mutual respect.
This is where Comr. Mercy Solomon now has an opportunity to make a lasting contribution.
Her new responsibility goes beyond representing an office at the national level. It is an opportunity to strengthen the relationships that exist between campuses and create platforms through which student leaders can learn from one another, collaborate on common challenges and develop initiatives that transcend individual institutional boundaries.
The North Central Zone believes that the future of student leadership cannot be built in isolation. The challenges confronting students today are increasingly interconnected, and many of them require collective thinking and collaboration across institutions. Issues surrounding digital education, entrepreneurship, skills development, student welfare, leadership development, academic opportunities and employability are not limited to one campus. They are shared concerns that require shared solutions.
An effective Inter-Campus Affairs portfolio can therefore become one of the most dynamic components of the new NAPS administration.
Comr. Mercy Solomon has the opportunity to help create stronger channels of communication among campuses, encourage institutional partnerships and facilitate programmes that bring students from different polytechnics together. She can contribute to building an environment where institutions do not simply exist alongside one another, but actively learn from and support one another.
Her emergence also reflects the growing importance of inclusive representation within NAPS. As a national association representing students from different institutions and regions, NAPS must continue to create opportunities for leaders who can build bridges across geographical, institutional and personal differences. The strength of the Association lies in its diversity, and that diversity becomes an advantage when leaders are able to transform it into collaboration.
The North Central Zone is particularly proud to celebrate Comr. Mercy Solomon because her emergence adds another strong voice from the region to the national leadership architecture of NAPS. It demonstrates that leadership from North Central continues to find relevance beyond the immediate boundaries of the Zone and reinforces the region’s commitment to producing leaders who are prepared to serve on a broader national platform.
The journey to the just-concluded convention was preceded by consultations, engagements and discussions about the future direction of NAPS. Across those conversations, one message remained clear: the Association requires leaders who are prepared to move beyond conventional student politics and focus on building institutions, creating opportunities and strengthening the relationships that make national representation effective.
The emergence of Comr. Mercy Solomon comes at precisely such a moment.
With a new national leadership now taking shape, the Association has an opportunity to strengthen the connections between its national structure and the various campuses it represents. The success of that effort will depend considerably on the ability of officers responsible for inter-campus affairs to understand the realities of different institutions and create meaningful avenues for engagement.
The North Central Zone therefore looks forward to seeing an Inter-Campus Affairs portfolio that is active, accessible and innovative; one that encourages collaboration rather than competition and creates opportunities for student leaders and students from different institutions to connect around common interests.
The Zone also believes that inter-campus relations should extend beyond ceremonial visits and occasional meetings. There is enormous potential for NAPS to facilitate inter-campus academic collaborations, leadership exchanges, entrepreneurship initiatives, innovation programmes, sports and cultural engagements, skills development opportunities and knowledge-sharing platforms. These initiatives can help students discover opportunities outside their immediate campuses and develop relationships that remain valuable long after graduation.
Comr. Mercy Solomon now has the opportunity to help turn this potential into reality.
Her tenure can become a period in which campuses feel more connected to one another and where student leaders have greater opportunities to exchange ideas and collaborate on issues that affect their communities. It can also become an opportunity to strengthen the sense of belonging that comes from knowing that regardless of the institution a student attends, there exists a national community willing to listen, collaborate and advocate.
The North Central Zone encourages her to approach this responsibility with openness, humility and a willingness to listen. Every institution has its unique realities, and effective national leadership requires understanding those realities rather than assuming that one solution can work everywhere.
The Zone believes that her greatest strength in this office will be her ability to build bridges: between institutions, between student leaders, between regions and between ideas. In a diverse association such as NAPS, bridge-building is not merely desirable; it is essential to sustainable leadership.
As Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs, she will also have an important role in supporting the broader vision of the new national administration. Her success will be closely connected to the ability of the entire leadership team to work collaboratively and ensure that national programmes are not concentrated in one location or limited to a small circle of institutions.
NAPS belongs to every polytechnic student, and every campus should have a sense of ownership in its national association.
That is the kind of national student movement the North Central Zone hopes to see strengthened during the new administration: an association where institutions communicate more effectively, students have greater access to opportunities, leaders collaborate across boundaries and national initiatives genuinely reach the grassroots.
The Zone therefore welcomes Comr. Mercy Solomon’s emergence with great optimism and confidence. We believe her office can become an important bridge between the different campuses that constitute the NAPS community and a platform for creating stronger relationships across Nigeria’s polytechnic landscape.
The North Central Zone also looks forward to constructive collaboration with her office and the entire national leadership. Where opportunities exist to strengthen inter-campus cooperation, the Zone remains ready to participate. Where there are challenges requiring dialogue and collective action, North Central remains committed to engaging responsibly.
For Comr. Mercy Solomon, this new chapter should ultimately be about more than occupying a national office. It should be about leaving behind stronger relationships, more connected campuses and a culture of collaboration that future generations of NAPS leaders can build upon.
Her emergence has opened a door.
What she builds through that door will become her legacy.
The North Central Zone, under the leadership of Comr. Ahmed Peter Hassan (CNPS), Zonal Coordinator, and the entire leadership and membership of the Zone, therefore extends its heartfelt congratulations to Comr. Mercy Solomon on her emergence as Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs of the National Association of Polytechnic Students.
We celebrate this achievement with pride and look forward to the contribution she will make to the new national leadership. We wish her wisdom, strength, courage and the humility to listen to the many voices that will come with the responsibility of representing students across different institutions.
May her tenure be characterized by meaningful partnerships, stronger inter-campus relationships, inclusive representation and programmes that create real opportunities for students.
May she build bridges where there are gaps, create connections where there is distance and transform collaboration into tangible impact.
And may her service contribute to a NAPS that is not only nationally recognized, but deeply connected to the students and institutions it exists to represent.
Congratulations, Comr. Mercy Solomon.
Congratulations, Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs of NAPS.
Congratulations to the North Central family.
Congratulations to the entire Nigerian Polytechnic Students’ Community.
Your mandate is national, your responsibility is immense, and your opportunity to connect a generation is before you.
NAPS NORTH CENTRAL ZONE
Leadership. Advocacy. Impact.