The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade) has announced plans to strengthen the National Association of Nigerian Students–OCHA Brigade units, known as OCHA–NANS, across higher institutions in Anambra State to monitor student activities in line with state government directives.

The development was disclosed in Awka during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students, led by the National Clerk of the Senate of the student body, Comrade Daniel Vyonku, to the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Comrade Celestine Anere.

During the visit, the students’ body conferred on Anere the honour of Lifetime Membership and Patron of NANS in recognition of his contributions to environmental order and public safety.

Expressing appreciation for the recognition, Anere assured the students of the agency’s renewed commitment to improving welfare and environmental conditions in student communities, particularly in private hostels across the state.

He emphasized that poor sanitation in student-populated areas constitutes a public health concern with wider implications for Anambra State.

The OCHA Brigade Managing Director disclosed that the agency had previously attempted to establish OCHA–NANS units in various institutions but encountered limited cooperation from some student leaders.

He stressed the need for a more effective partnership with students to achieve clean, healthy, and habitable environments within and around campuses.

Anere noted that many landlords and house agents prioritize rent collection over the provision of proper drainage, waste management, and healthy living conditions.

He also pointed out that students often fail to report substandard hostel conditions, a situation he said contributes to the persistence of environmental hazards in student communities.