Leadership begins with responsibility, consultation and collective decision-making.
Leadership begins with responsibility, consultation and collective decision-making.
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Introduction
Being elected into a Student Union Executive position is more than an achievement, a recognition of popularity or an opportunity to occupy a prestigious office. It is a responsibility entrusted to an individual by fellow students, who expect such an individual to represent their interests, protect their welfare and contribute meaningfully to the development of the student community.
A Student Union Executive is not elected to become superior to the people who elected them. Rather, they are elected to serve them. The position comes with authority, influence and certain privileges, but these must be exercised with wisdom, discipline, accountability and a genuine commitment to the common good.
One of the greatest misconceptions about student leadership is the belief that occupying an executive position automatically gives an individual the right to intimidate others, disregard established procedures, exercise unnecessary control or demand unquestionable respect. In reality, leadership is not measured by how many people are afraid of you, but by how many people benefit from your decisions.
Power in student leadership should be an instrument of development, not a weapon of intimidation.
1. Understanding the Purpose of a Student Union Executive Position
Every executive position exists for a reason. Whether it is the office of the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Officer, Welfare Director, Social Director or any other portfolio, each position has responsibilities that contribute to the overall administration of the union.
An executive should understand the boundaries of their office, the union's constitution and the expectations attached to their responsibilities.
For instance:
A Welfare Director should identify students' welfare challenges and work towards practical solutions rather than use the office to favour friends and associates.
A Treasurer should promote financial transparency, proper documentation and responsible management of union funds rather than treat union resources as personal property.
A Public Relations Officer should communicate accurate information, promote constructive engagement and protect the credibility of the union rather than use the office to attack critics.
A General Secretary should maintain accurate records, communicate decisions and ensure administrative continuity rather than withhold information for personal advantage.
A President should provide direction, coordinate the executive team and represent the collective interests of students rather than behave as though the union belongs to them.
These responsibilities demonstrate that executive authority is tied to service and defined duties, not personal preferences.
The University of Ibadan's published Student Union provisions, for example, establish financial accountability for union officials, require proper records of union property and provide for periodic auditing of union accounts. This demonstrates that leadership responsibilities come with obligations that must be fulfilled and accounted for.
2. The Proper Utilisation of Power and Influence
Power is not inherently good or bad; its value is determined by how it is exercised. In student unionism, power should be directed towards addressing challenges, creating opportunities and improving the general student experience.
An executive who has access to university management should use that access to communicate legitimate student concerns, not to secure personal favours or intimidate fellow students.
An executive who has influence over student activities should use that influence to encourage participation, fairness and inclusiveness, not to silence people with opposing opinions.
Consider the following practical situations:
Example A: The use of influence to resolve a welfare problem.
Imagine students are experiencing poor water supply, inadequate classroom facilities or an unacceptable hostel environment. An irresponsible executive might dismiss their complaints, tell them to manage the situation or become hostile towards those raising concerns.
A responsible executive would collect complaints, document the affected locations, engage the appropriate university departments, propose realistic solutions and communicate the progress of the intervention.
The true value of leadership is measured by its impact on people's lives.
The difference is simple: one uses the office to protect personal comfort, while the other uses it to improve the environment.
Example B: The use of authority during disagreements.
Suppose a student publicly questions an executive's decision or criticises the union's administration. The executive must understand that criticism is not automatically an act of disrespect or rebellion.
Rather than threaten the student, mobilise supporters against them or use official influence to victimise them, a responsible leader should provide explanations, address legitimate concerns and remain open to constructive criticism.
A leadership position does not remove an individual's right to be questioned.
Example C: The management of union resources.
Where an executive has access to union funds, vehicles, facilities or other resources, those resources must be utilised strictly for authorised union purposes.
For example, money allocated for a student-oriented programme should not be diverted to personal expenses, while union facilities should not become private property reserved for the executive's friends.
The question every executive should ask is: Can I openly explain and defend how I have used the resources entrusted to my office?
3. Leadership Must Not Become an Addition to Existing Student Problems
The student environment already has challenges that require collective attention. These may include financial difficulties, poor infrastructure, academic pressure, inadequate welfare facilities, administrative delays, insecurity and communication gaps between students and university management.
Student Union Executives should not become another source of these difficulties.
Unfortunately, leadership becomes counterproductive when individuals begin to use their positions to:
Intimidate students who disagree with them.
Demand unnecessary loyalty and personal allegiance.
Manipulate union processes for personal or political interests.
Discriminate against students based on friendships, affiliations or perceived opposition.
Withhold useful information because of personal differences.
Abuse access to university authorities or security personnel.
Promote division, hostility and unnecessary rivalry among students.
Prioritise personal recognition over measurable achievements.
The irony is that some people enter leadership promising to fight for students but eventually become part of the very problems they promised to solve.
A student leader must never become the reason students are afraid to approach the union that was established to represent them.
4. Accountability, Transparency and Respect for Due Process
No executive should consider themselves above the constitution of the union or the regulations of the institution.
Authority must operate within established rules. Decisions involving students, finances, disciplinary matters and union activities should follow the appropriate procedures.
Accountability also means accepting responsibility when things go wrong. A good leader does not always look for someone to blame, manipulate facts to protect their image or suppress information that may expose administrative shortcomings.
For example, if an executive council promises to provide a particular facility but fails to deliver, the responsible approach is to explain the challenges, provide evidence of efforts made and communicate a realistic alternative.
Similarly, if union funds are collected for a programme, students should be able to understand the purpose of the collection and how the money was spent.
Transparency does not weaken leadership. It strengthens public confidence.
5. Student Unionism Should Promote Partnership, Not Unnecessary Hostility
Effective representation requires dialogue, negotiation and purposeful advocacy.
Being a student representative does not mean maintaining permanent hostility towards university management. It also does not mean blindly supporting every decision taken by the institution.
The responsibility of an executive is to understand when to negotiate, when to advocate, when to demand accountability and when to challenge decisions that genuinely undermine students' interests.
A mature Student Union Executive understands that the university administration and student representatives have different responsibilities but can work together towards a common objective: a better academic and social environment.
For instance, when students face an administrative challenge involving registration, accommodation or academic procedures, the union should seek clarification, present evidence of the difficulties and engage the relevant authorities.
Where dialogue fails or students' legitimate interests are continually disregarded, the union can pursue appropriate and lawful advocacy.
The objective should always be to achieve a solution, not to create unnecessary conflict for political relevance.
6. Lessons from Real-Life Examples of Responsible Student Advocacy
Effective representation requires dialogue, negotiation and purposeful advocacy.
The importance of using student leadership to create positive change is not merely theoretical. There are documented examples of student representation producing meaningful results.
Example 1: University of Cape Town – Student Debt Relief Initiative (2024).
According to the University of Cape Town's official account of its student union, the Students' Representative Council spearheaded a student debt relief initiative in collaboration with university management. The initiative resulted in the university council approving a framework to support financially vulnerable students.
The SRC also operates a hardship fund and provides support for students experiencing food insecurity, emergency accommodation difficulties and challenges accessing academic materials.
The important lesson is that student leadership should translate influence into practical welfare interventions. Rather than merely speaking about students' financial difficulties, the representatives participated in developing an institutional response.
Example 2: University of Ibadan – The 1962 Student Demonstration.
The University of Ibadan's official Student Union history records that its students championed a nationwide demonstration in 1962 against the proposed Anglo-Nigerian Defence Pact.
The peaceful demonstration contributed to the Nigerian government's decision to abandon the proposed pact.
A responsible leader listens before making decisions.
This example demonstrates that student leadership can extend beyond entertainment, social activities and internal politics. Organised, peaceful and purposeful student advocacy can influence decisions at the highest levels of government.
Example 3: University of Nigeria, Nsukka – Student Union Governance.
The University of Nigeria explains that student unionism provides an organised platform through which students can communicate their concerns, participate in institutional problem-solving and hold their colleagues accountable.
It also recognises the distinction between the executive and legislative arms of student governance, with the legislative arm providing oversight.
This is an important lesson in institutional accountability: an executive council should not operate as an unchecked authority. Leadership must respect constitutional responsibilities, oversight structures and the collective interest of the student population.
Example 4: University of Lagos – The 2026/2027 Student Union Leadership.
In its November 2026 report on the inauguration of the new Students' Union leadership, the University of Lagos emphasised integrity, accountability, discipline, servant leadership, dialogue and due process.
The university's management specifically encouraged the new executives to avoid violence and embrace constructive engagement.
This reinforces an important principle: the credibility of student leadership depends not only on the promises made during elections but also on the character and conduct demonstrated while in office.
7. What Should Students Remember About Those They Elect?
Students should not measure an executive's performance solely by how frequently their pictures appear on social media, the number of events they organise, the vehicles they use or the level of attention they receive.
A more meaningful assessment should consider:
What practical problems has the executive helped to solve?
How accessible is the executive to ordinary students?
Are students treated fairly, irrespective of their relationships with the officeholder?
Are union resources properly managed?
Does the executive communicate honestly and regularly?
Are students' interests adequately represented before the appropriate authorities?
Does the executive respect the union's constitution and institutional regulations?
What positive structures, opportunities or improvements will remain after the executive leaves office?
The true value of leadership is reflected in its impact, not its appearance.
8. Build a Legacy That Outlives Your Tenure
Every student union executive will eventually leave office. The position is temporary, regardless of how influential or powerful its occupant may become.
The real question is not how much authority an individual enjoyed while in office, but what positive difference they made before leaving.
Did they improve the welfare system? Did they establish useful structures? Did they promote transparency? Did they create opportunities for students? Did they make the union more accessible? Did they leave behind a system that their successors can improve upon?
A good executive leaves an office better than they met it. A great executive leaves behind structures, values and opportunities that continue to benefit students long after their tenure.
Leadership should be about building institutions, not personal empires.
Conclusion: Power Is a Responsibility, Not a Personal Entitlement
To every Student Union Executive, remember that the position you occupy today is a temporary privilege entrusted to you by the people you represent.
The same students who elected you are the people who experience the consequences of your decisions. Their welfare, dignity, academic interests and general well-being should remain at the centre of your administration.
Do not use your office to create fear where there should be confidence. Do not use your influence to silence voices that should be heard. Do not use your authority to make an already difficult student environment even more difficult.
Instead, be accessible, accountable, fair, responsible and solution-oriented.
Use your connections to open doors for students. Use your influence to attract opportunities. Use your authority to promote order and fairness. Use your voice to defend legitimate student interests. Use your resources to create meaningful impact.
The purpose of student leadership is not to make life easier for those in government at the expense of those they govern. It is to make the environment better for everyone.
At the end of your tenure, students may forget the titles you held, the privileges you enjoyed and the recognition you received. However, they will remember how you treated them, the problems you helped solve and the positive difference your administration made.
Ultimately, the greatest achievement of a Student Union Executive is not to leave office as the most powerful person in the student community, but to leave behind a student community that is better because of the power entrusted to them.
Be an instrument of positive change, not another problem students must learn to live with.
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