Economic hardship: UNN students recount survival strategies on campus
Image Source: The Record News
By Peter Okoye
Nigerians are all too familiar with the current economic challenges, as prices for virtually everything; both goods and essential services have skyrocketed. Inflation shows no sign of slowing, with the naira continually losing value against the dollar.
This economic strain has forced many to cut costs and turn to cheaper alternatives to survive. The impact of the fuel subsidy removal is still being felt across all regions and social strata of Nigeria.
However, it seems that the group most affected by this economic crisis are students in tertiary institutions.
These students have to purchase almost everything to survive on campus, including food, textbooks, school fees, and other miscellaneous expenses, popularly dubbed “billing.” This can be termed a “worst-case scenario” because these students depend on their parents or caregivers to cover their bills.
Curious to get the pulse of students on this, CrispNG’s campus reporter went around the school to inquire about their daily spending and how they manage their finances.
Onah Kenechukwu, a third-year student of mass communication, said that he doesn’t eat three square meals a day as he should. Instead, he cuts costs to ensure everything lasts him the whole day.
“I cook mostly at night and I eat the leftovers in the morning before going out. I don’t buy anything in school, and I don’t often take transport although I live far from school. The next time I would spend money is in the evening when I buy foodstuffs to cook for the night. I eat on a 1-0-1 scale, and some of the foodstuffs I buy won’t even cost more than a thousand naira,” Kenechukwu said.
Gift Ndubueze, a 100-level student of Tourism Studies, said she doesn’t buy food because she already has food at home to cook and eat, further stating that she does not have a definite amount of what she spends in a day.
“Sometimes I spend more; other times, I spend less. My expenses in a day are not always stable. No matter the economic realities on the ground, I can boldly tell you that I eat three square meals a day because I need it,” Gift said.
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John Okorie, a 200-level student of History and International Studies, shared his own thoughts. In his words, “I spend at least two thousand naira in a day because while coming to school in the morning, I always buy snacks and still buy the same snacks while heading back home in the late afternoon after lectures. But in the evening, I eat a full meal. The expenses I incur do not cover textbooks and other minor fees in school because those are separate and not what I spend on all the time.”
As for Nwabunwanne Chigozie, a 200-level student of mass communication, he says that his daily expenses are always coincidental and not planned, explaining that he spends 1,200 naira in total in a day.
“For my daily expenses, 300 naira goes for breakfast, 500 naira for lunch, and 300 naira for supper. That doesn’t mean I don’t eat well, but this is how I manage myself to make sure I survive in school,” he highlighted.
Rita Eze, a fresh graduate from the Department of Biochemistry, told me that she can’t calculate how much she spends in a day owing to the numerous expenses she incurs as a student.
“I can’t tell you for sure that I spend a particular amount of money in a day because I have to make expenses on projects, term papers, clearance, and even feeding. To be honest, the ‘billings’ this time around is too much, but I have no choice because I have to clear myself as a graduate,” she said.
In another twist, Dominick Ezeokonkwo, a penultimate student of Engineering, agreed that the inflationary trend in the country is high, stating that nothing can be done about it, further stating that money has to be spent on life’s necessities.
When asked about how much he spends in a day, he, like some other respondents, told me that he has no definite amount he spends on a particular day, but he spends more on food compared to any other needs, stating, “Man has to survive first.”
When asked, Okoye Perpetual, a 200-level student of mass communication, demonstrated mixed reactions. In her words, “Three square meals a day is only for the rich. As for me, I cook for myself for breakfast; for lunch, I take a little snack worth 350 naira, and for dinner, I take bread and pap worth 450 naira. In total, I spend 700 to 1000 naira a day, depending on the day’s activities.”
For Pius Catherine, a 100-level student of mass communication, she expressed, “My expenses as a student depend as needs arise on a particular day because most of the expenses usually come unplanned, and there is no specific amount mapped out for a specific day. But I hope things get better because the prices of goods in the market are not smiling at all.”
Lastly, Amagba Chinecherem, a 300-level student of the Department of Pharmacy, opined that students can venture into some soft skills that pay to cater to their needs owing to the wake of chronic inflation in the country.
“Everyone knows how the economy of the country is, so I wouldn’t advise any student to sit down and solely depend on mum and dad to do everything for them. As for me, though, I try my possible best to eat very well and not to lack anything while studying because he who eats very well definitely studies very well,” she remonstrated.
The diverse reactions from the students prove that students in different tertiary institutions are really feeling the heat of economic hardship amidst their studies. The common watchword from each of the respondents is “hope,” implying that they believe things will get better. The big question in different minds now is, “When will that be?” For now, this will only remain a rhetorical question.
