Nigeria’s Education Crisis Deepens as Students Battle Economic Hardship

Darby Epharim, a third-year Mass Communication student at the University of Uyo, delayed her return to school for the 2023/2024 academic session due to her inability to afford basic necessities. When she finally resumed, halfway through the first semester, her struggle for basic needs persisted.

She was forced to adopt a “zero-one-zero” food rotation, where she would eat one meal a day, due to the depletion of her food supplies just weeks after resumption. Also, the skyrocketing prices of academic materials added to her woes, making it challenging for her to afford essential resources for her studies.

“The soaring prices, especially on food items, compelled me to postpone my return to school. After some weeks which I resumed, my foodstuffs finished because I was not able to buy enough food because everything was expensive. So, I resorted to a zero-one-zero meal pattern,” she told Campus Reporter.

Darby’s experience is not unique as millions of Nigerian students are facing similar hardships due to the country’s economic downturn. Since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, many families could not eat their favourite soups every week. 

While many agree the economic situation was challenging before, things have changed completely for those living below $1 per day. Several policies of the current administration have also significantly increased the cost of living. Similarly, inflation has been exacerbated, making everyday life more difficult for Nigerians, especially those in lower-income brackets.

Hunger persists despite protest 

Last year, Nigerians trooped out on several occasions to protest widespread hunger and economic hardship across the country.  Two popular rallies at the time were tagged #EndBadGovernance protest and #EndHunger protest. These rallies were marred by violent clashes between protesters and security forces across several states, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 civilians including minors, with several injuries reported. 

The situation was particularly volatile in the northern part of Nigeria where the military and police met protesters with deadly use of force and attacks on media personnel. Additionally, hundreds of protesters were arrested as authorities attempted to put an end to the demonstrations.

Despite all of these, Nigerians continue to battle economic hardship and students are not left out. According to a recent report by the World Food Programme, a staggering 33 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity in Nigeria by 2025.

More stories, more woes

While Olumo Saadudeen’s semester break was supposed to be a brief respite, it turned into an extended nightmare. The final-year student from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) found himself trapped at his hometown in Ilorin, Kwara State, due to inability to afford the high transportation costs to return to school.

As he kept deferring his resumption, the fare continued to increase from a manageable N9,500 to a staggering N30,000, shattering his carefully planned budget. With a heavy heart, he sacrificed other essential expenses to scrape together the funds for his return journey.

But Saadudeen’s struggles didn’t end there. Upon his arrival at school, he was forced to seek accommodation outside the campus, missing out on the affordable options available to students who lived on campus. This added insult to injury, as he now had to contend with the daily grind of transportation costs, spending N900 every time he has assignments on campus. 

The financial strain took a toll on Saadudeen’s daily life. “Spending that money weekly is hard for me to afford, and I can’t even guarantee myself the normal three square meal as an average Nigerian,” Salaudeen lamented.

Oredola Abdulkabeer, a 300-level student at the University of Ilorin also found himself in the same precarious situation forcing him to make a difficult choice: skip lectures or sacrifice his meals. His initial plan to secure on-campus accommodation was foiled when he discovered that the hostel was fully occupied. He had no option but to opt for an off-campus hostel, which came with an unexpected burden: exorbitant transportation costs.

To cope with the financial strain, Abdulkabeer began to prioritise his spending. He started using his food money to pay for transportation, leaving him with only enough to eat once a day. Despite his best efforts, he was forced to miss some lectures, a sacrifice that weighed heavily on him.

“I couldn’t welcome the thought of missing Monday to Wednesday’s lectures because I prioritise those three days. Although I felt the burden of missing two lectures in a row, I knew I had to make sacrifices,” he said. “I have to seek out notes or discussions I missed from my coursemates. This is how I balance my livelihood and academics.”

Textbooks price

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for college textbooks increased by 7% between 2020 and 2023, a development that has imprinted dents on many students’ academics.

Oloruntola Hikmat, a 400-level Law student from University of Abuja said she was compelled to purchase academic materials with her feeding allowances in order to free herself from reading soft copies that constantly affected her eyesight.

Due to the hard-driving character of the legal profession, Hikmat consults as many learning materials as possible. Should any of her quest materials not be available in her school library, she spends a considerable amount of money on multiple photocopies.

“The least of the copies I often do contain nothing less than 110 pages, and cost N5,500,” she said. 

Implications 

Speaking with our reporter, Kingsley Ndimele, an economist, identified poor academic performance among students as a direct consequence of economic difficulties. Highlighting students’ major expenditure; food, transportation, and academic materials, he said, the real value of money has reduced, forcing students to leave a step below their standard of living.

“Students exhausted their allowance before the middle of the month. Subsequently, they start to eat what comes their way. In terms of food, students’ consumption has reduced not only in quantity but also in quality,” Ndimele explained. “Therefore students seek an alternative which is side hustle either in legal or illegal means in order to survive.”