Nigerian students in tertiary institutions face intense financial pressure as their allowances no longer last through the semester, forcing them to adopt coping strategies to survive, including skipping meals and gambling.
Most students receive allowances or stipends mainly from their parents or guardians, while others fend for themselves through hustles.
However, the main challenge remains that these allowances are no longer enough to cover their expenses throughout the semester. This effect has affected students academically, healthwise, and in their daily lives.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the overall inflation rate rose to 19.93 per cent in May, while food inflation increased to 16.93 per cent.
The figures show that the prices of food commodities and other consumer goods have risen, which students in schools depend heavily on.
Jasini Samuel Mamza, a 400-level Mass Communication student at Veritas University, Abuja, receives N60,000 from his parents every two weeks, which is still not enough to cover his personal expenses before the end of the semester.
Mr Mamza said, “I try my best to manage my expenses by reducing unnecessary spending, and in tough times, I place bets on a betting site for a particular team to win a game, or I just place a call for support from family or friends.
“The second semester is usually the longest and is always difficult for students to cope with because of the long school schedule of several school activities that require money.”
Uwah Chigozie, a Statistics student at the University of Jos, said he lives off campus and works a side job, putting in longer hours to meet his weekly feeding allowance of N50,000, and added that he works more hours to cover unexpected expenses when his allowance runs out.
“I work at Terminus, so I just double my hustle, and I’m barely out of funds,” Mr Uwah said, adding that side hustles have not affected his studies.
Gwangbyen Esther Joro, a first-year student at the University of Jos, said she lives off campus on a monthly budget of N15,000 to N20,000, which often does not last because of personal expenses, including hair care and other essentials.
“As a girl, I have extra expenses like making my hair and buying personal items. When it runs out, I usually go back home or call my parents to ask for extra money,” Ms Joro said.
Bulus Nissi, a Business Administration student at Kaduna State University, lives off campus like Mr Chigozie but manages a tighter weekly feeding budget of N15,000 to N20,000 and relies on his parents for financial support whenever his allowance is exhausted.
“Most times, I call home, explain, or go into one of these betting platforms to place a bet on sports, and getting a job as a student is difficult because no one would employ someone who only comes in when free,” Mr Bulus said.
He added that it has affected his performance and daily activities, as he misses “vital classes and school activities” because he receives his allowance late.
Noel Kaslong, a Cyber Security student at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, said his savings have become his means of survival on campus whenever he receives N13,000 weekly from his parents.
He said he misses classes just to cook meals in his hostel.
“I skip class because I don’t want to spend over 2,000 on food that won’t satisfy me. I prefer cooking in my hostel instead of buying food in school,” Mr Kaslong explained.
