Inside UDUS Where Students Yearn For A Potable Water Factory And Bakery

A few weeks after Afolabi Taofeeq arrived in Sokoto in 2021 to pursue his undergraduate study in Political Science at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, he bore testimony to what the residents called Sun City.

On a scorching Sunday afternoon, Afolabi bought a sachet of water with the only ten naira note he had on him when he was thirsty. He hurriedly tried to gulp it down to quench the thirst, but his oesophagus rejected it because the sachet water was odorous. When he withdrew his hand from his mouth and held the water up to his eyes, he was astounded to see that there was visible dirt revelling in the purportedly clean water.

Afolabi, the graduate of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Oyo (EACOED) in ENG/POL Science, could not believe his eyes.

“Even my alma mater, EACOED, has a farm, bakery, and sachet water,” he muttered in confusion.

“Can this old University stand tall without the government as her bankroller?” he asked.

The sun in Sokoto is known for its unrivalled heat. It reached 47°C at times in 2017, the highest temperature ever recorded in Nigeria at any point.

Similarly, between April and July, the chances of rain are extremely rare and uncertain.

UDUS students, staff, and facilities consume large amounts of water due to the scorching temperatures and harsh weather. The students are left with no choice but to drink more water to quench their thirst and prevent dehydration.

The argument for a water factory

According to statistics from the World Health Organisation, contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, polio etc. The statistics show that 290,000 people die from diarrhoea alone annually.

Esther Chukwu, a 400-level student studying Pharmacy, said she was once diagnosed with typhoid due to the water.

“When this sickness befell me, I couldn’t help but go to the UDUTH for rescue, where I was told it’s typhoid. Even the sachet water is not good either,” she said.

These days, students like Julius Rotimi James, a 300-level student of Political Science, lament bitterly over the state of sachet water and bread that students are consuming. “The water is both tasty and unhealthy. If the school establishes a pure water factory, it will reduce the rate at which students contract typhoid,” Julius said.

Elizabeth, a fresh graduate of FAIS, in an exclusive interview with the News Digest Press, UDUS said if UDUS could give its students a bakery devoid of contamination and saccharine, it would be a healthier choice for students’ lives.

Research has shown that long-term saccharine consumption is likely to cause diabetes, obesity or liver impairment.

“Furthermore, if UDUS produces sachet water, it will be well treated, as most water on the campus is not well treated. They’re made by capitalists who don’t care whose ox is gored in the process of making a profit.”

Greener pastures

According to Kolawole Mustapha, a 400-level student from FEES, these factories will allow the institution to carry out some of its policies independently.

“It will generate revenue and enable the school to implement policies without relying on the government. It will also encourage people to start businesses [and] it will definitely boost entrepreneurship.”

Like Mustapha, Ibrahim Muideen, another 400-level student from the Statistics Department, said that these factories would be a good idea as they will create job opportunities for students who are self-sponsored and also serve as a great source of income for the school.

“It’s indeed a green pasture for UDUS,” he said.

Student leaders react

Following The News Digest article written on July 7th, 2020, titled: “Why We Need Water Factory And Bakery in UDUS,” the CTC UDUS made an effort to produce sachet water to ease the affairs of students on campus at an inexpensive price and said the bakery is on its way. However, this did not last due to financial issues.

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Law Students Society of Nigeria, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Mikailu Abubakar, recounted that It would have been better if UDUS had these factories, although the UDUS Students Union made an effort to provide UDUS branded pure water, which is a very good move.

“If I should advise, privatization is the key to all these things. The school needs to make an effort at least to create a favourable atmosphere for private individuals to come and set up this business, but the students must also be ready to patronize it. The best way to make it available is that we shouldn’t wait for UDUS. Even if it’s owned by private individuals, students, parents or private entrepreneurs, it will be more accountable and standard. Though it might be profit-oriented, it will be healthy and beneficial to everybody – students will have good products to consume, and the school as well will get something from license and land granted to such an individual or individuals,” he concluded.