EDITORIAL: The Effects Of Nigeria’s Economic Crisis On Students

 

EDITORIAL

You don’t need to look far to know something is wrong. Prices have tripled, yet allowances haven’t increased. In UI today, the effects of Nigeria’s economic crisis are not abstract they’re visible on the faces of students, in the half-filled plates, and in the empty lecture halls.

“I now eat once a day,” says Deolu, a 300-level student in the Faculty of the Social Sciences. “It’s not even a decision anymore, it’s survival.” A plate of rice that cost ₦250 in 2023 now sells for ₦500 or more. Sharwamas have become luxury items, and even snacks like gala and pure water now feel like expenses we must reconsider.

The sad part of this is that these are just the surface problems. Behind them are deeper realities, students are skipping lectures because they can’t afford transport, sleeping through hunger, and sacrificing their health. Some are even engaging in risky side hustles just to stay afloat.

Let’s not talk about electricity. Many of us now read with dying power banks or walk long distances to faculty buildings that have light. The basic conditions for learning are no longer basic, they’re broken.

What is most disturbing is the silence. The silence from the government. While students suffer in quiet frustration, the people meant to speak on our behalf either post throwback pictures or plan award nights.

How do we focus on school when life outside the classroom is chaotic? How do we write exams when our stomachs are empty and our minds, heavy? Students are resilient, but resilience is not a solution. We are tired of having to choose between academic performance and staying alive.

It’s time for real conversations about student welfare. It’s time our leaders stop pretending everything is normal. Because if this is what normal looks like, then Nigeria has failed its youth again.