ASUU STRIKE: A Critical Projection Of Life After School -By Collins Akinujomu

Recently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended it’s 8months industrial action, one that is considered as one of the longest action in the history of the union.
The strike which began on the 14th of February and was suspended on the 14th of October 2022 after a long tussle between the two parenting parties
At the surface of the industrial action, while students perceived it to be a normal form of warning strike, they do not hesitate to find their way back home hoping to be called back to academic works sooner, unfortunately it took another face and eventually lasted for number of days not less than 242.

In all of these, university students were left with the options of either getting busy with extracurricular activities in the forms of apprenticeship, internship, self employment , summer jobs and what have you, while some students explore all available opportunities around them to the max, some intentionally or unintentionally remained a dependant on their parents or guardian, however, it is not my responsibility to be judgmental on this issue

In my own case, in effort to account for my time outside social media, I took up a summer job with a digital photography company as an editor and of course with gigantic hope and aspirations to save some amount of money for school purpose,
While my period at work had garnered me a work experience of 1,540 hours in the span of seven months, an experience that may be described ‘celebrated’ for an average student in the Nigerian context
However, monetarily, on resuming to campus and meeting with friends and colleagues who are abreast of my activities during the prolonged industrial action, it is a good thing to reuniting again, indeed!

While still in the cheerful atmosphere, one thing I noticed in our daily parlance is their conviction that huge amount of money will have been kept for resumption purpose lol, I hope you will not disappointed like the way I was if I tell you I couldn’t save a dime and this is not JOKE.
This is not as a result of excessive spending but a sequel of several factors which include majorly;

Underpayment: compared to developed countries where workers are paid hourly, my 11 hrs work per day only account for less that a thousand naira

Global inflation: Globally the world is experiencing a high level of inflation where price of things are increasingly skyrocketing beyond control which is in turn having adverse effect on global economic relations that is directly controlling local economic activities.

Also, a quick reminder is that the exchange rate at the beginning of the said strike was $1 for #570, the exchange which had took an increase that currently sit at a dollar for #800 as the time of this writing

Scarcity of petroleum products: the outbreak of fuel scarcity in the country during this period also has its effect such that a distance covered at the rate of #200-#300 on a to-and-fro is now #500 at a best consideration
To be more direct, more than half of my monthly income as a summer employer caters for transportation and the rest for daily upkeeps, talk-less of savings, imagine if I were to be in the UK, Canada or somewhere, I will be worth of millions in naira. This is Nigeria anyways

While the above instance may be my own side of the story, it remain a reflection of the whole, Students while on campus are familiar with the saying ‘Life after school is difficult’ while majority may agree to this saying theoretically I can assure you only few will agree to the practical experience until they get there.

My experience during the strike and the current economic crises in the country has landed me to a point of thinking like an adult and carefully considering parents and guardian with numbers of dependants, how they’re coping coupled with day-to-day bills, and to all undergraduate students out there, I’ll encourage us to support our sponsors with careful spending at this critical time for one day we will all begin to live the ‘life after school’ in reality and you will be completely responsible for yourself

Collins Akinujomu