We Worry About Survival, Not Studies, Varsity Students Lament Hardship

BY HENRY TYOHEMBA AND CHUKWUKA ERSAMUS, Abuja

Campus life is increasingly taking a toll on Nigerian university students as rising food prices, expensive transportation, accommodation shortages, poor infrastructure and other economic challenges make the pursuit of higher education a daily struggle.

For many undergraduates, the excitement of gaining admission into a university and pursuing their academic dreams is gradually being overshadowed by the pressure of survival, with some struggling to afford basic necessities such as food, transportation, textbooks and accommodation.

Rather than concentrating fully on lectures, assignments, research and examinations, students stated that they are increasingly preoccupied with finding money to meet their everyday needs, leaving them physically exhausted, financially strained and mentally burdened.

From the difficulty of commuting to school to the rising cost of feeding and accessing essential learning materials, the challenges have made university life increasingly demanding, with students warning that economic hardship is affecting their ability to concentrate on their studies.

In an interview, Taye Abdul Malik, a 200-level student of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, the struggle begins with transportation.

“My major challenge as a student is transportation. Getting to and from school is difficult and stressful,” he said.

Although he has somewhere to stay and is not directly affected by the shortage of accommodation, Malik said the financial demands of university education remained a major concern.

“Not really. The fees and other charges are quite expensive and not very affordable for me,” he said when asked whether tuition fees and other charges were affordable.

Beyond the financial pressure, he lamented the unreliable internet services provided by the university, noting that the prevailing economic situation had further complicated his experience.

“The current economic situation has really affected me, especially in terms of the high cost of foodstuffs and transportation,” he added.

For John Adi, a 400-level student of the same institution, the challenges extend beyond transportation and feeding to the difficulty of obtaining essential academic materials.

He said financial difficulties sometimes made it difficult for him to print assignments and purchase textbooks, despite the importance of such materials to his studies.

“One of the challenges I face as a student is the cost of living and financial difficulties. Sometimes, I struggle to print assignments and buy necessary materials such as textbooks. Poor electricity supply and high transportation costs also add to the challenges,” he said.

The final-year student also raised concerns about the shortage of accommodation around the university, explaining that students who could not secure rooms within the campus were often forced to live far away.

According to him, the situation affects students’ punctuality, attendance and the amount of time available for private studies.

“The shortage of accommodation makes academic activities difficult because students sometimes have to stay far away from the school. This affects punctuality, attendance and the time available for studying.

“It can also make students tired and stressed, especially when they have lectures early in the morning or late in the evening,” he said.

For students who spend considerable time and money commuting to campus, the distance between their accommodation and lecture venues can become an additional burden, particularly when they have multiple lectures in a day.

Adi also expressed concern about the affordability of tuition fees and other university charges, saying the economic situation had made it increasingly difficult for students and their parents to meet the financial demands of higher education.

“Considering the current economic situation, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many students and parents to meet these demands. Sometimes, it takes extra effort and sacrifice to pay tuition fees and other expenses,” he said.

He further lamented the poor state of internet services, noting that students often struggled to access online resources when conducting academic research.

However, beyond the immediate challenges of paying fees, buying textbooks and accessing the internet, Adi said the rising cost of basic necessities had affected his ability to concentrate on his studies.

“The current economic situation has made university life difficult for me and many other students. Increases in the cost of food, accommodation, transportation and other basic needs have made things challenging.

“Sometimes, instead of focusing on academics, I worry about how to meet my basic needs as a student,” he added.

For Precious Ekutosi, another 400-level student of the Federal University of Lafia, the challenges are also reflected in the state of the institution’s physical learning environment.

She identified inadequate lecture halls and a shortage of equipment for practical teaching as major concerns, suggesting that the quality of university education was being affected not only by students’ financial difficulties but also by infrastructural limitations.

“Lack of adequate lecture halls and equipment for practical teaching,” she said when asked about her major challenges.

Ekutosi also highlighted the consequences of inadequate on-campus accommodation, explaining that students who live outside the university environment face additional financial and security concerns.

According to her, renting accommodation outside the campus increases transportation expenses and exposes students to security risks, particularly in areas where adequate security arrangements are lacking.

She, however, considered tuition fees and other charges affordable, indicating that the financial challenges confronting students differ depending on their individual circumstances.

But the rising cost of living, she said, had significantly affected her ability to manage the little money available for her upkeep.

“It has affected me significantly because most times, my upkeep allowance goes towards transportation and the high cost of living, making it difficult for me to survive,” she said.

At Nasarawa State University, Glory Amos, a 300-level student, identified insecurity, destruction of property and robbery as some of the major challenges confronting students.

For Amos, the concern is not limited to the cost of university education or the availability of academic facilities, as personal safety has also become an important consideration in her daily experience.

She said the accommodation shortage had forced her to live far away from the university, making regular attendance at lectures difficult because of transportation expenses.

The situation, she explained, creates additional pressure for students who must balance the cost of commuting with other essential expenses.

Although she said she was not directly responsible for paying her tuition fees and other charges, she believed the costs were relatively average.

However, she expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of network services available to students, describing them as very poor.

“No. In fact, network services are very poor,” she said when asked whether the university provided reliable internet services.

Amos also said the prevailing economic situation had made it increasingly difficult to cope with university life, particularly as the prices of food, water and accommodation continued to rise.

“The current economic situation has made it very difficult to cope with university life. The high cost of living, including foodstuffs, water and accommodation rent, has increased financial pressure and affected my ability to concentrate on my studies and meet my basic needs,” she said.

At the Federal University of Lafia, Mubarak Suleiman, a 400-level student, identified access to clean water as a major concern, saying the problem persisted despite the availability of water

“A major issue is the lack of clean water. This is a big problem because, although water is available, it is not in its purest state,” he said.

Unlike some of his colleagues, Suleiman said accommodation had not been a major concern for him because he had always lived within the university campus.

“I have always stayed inside the campus, so accommodation has never been an issue for me. It has not affected me before,” he said.

He also considered the tuition fees and other charges affordable, while acknowledging that access to reliable internet services was possible within his hostel.

According to him, MTN fibre services available in the hostel provide residents with internet access at their convenience and at an affordable price.

His experience, however, does not insulate him from the wider economic difficulties confronting students.

Suleiman described the current economic situation as a major problem, saying its effects had extended beyond his academic life to his physical, social and mental well-being.

“The economic situation is a very big problem. It has affected every aspect of my life, not just academically but also physically, socially and mentally,” he said.