FEATURE: Students of Sokoto University lament inadequate accommodation as hostel construction remains uncompleted

Mushab Almustapha can still recall the fateful Tuesday in late July —when the rain and circumstances ‘conspired’ against him. Torrential rains had transformed his neighborhood into a small river, leaving him stranded as the clock ticked closer to class time.

Desperately, he searched for a bus, but by the time one arrived, it was too late. He had missed the lecture, in which the lecturer had emphasized the importance of attendance—an absolute requirement to pass the course.

“I miss lectures most of the time because there aren’t enough buses for students to commute between town and school. But the one that pained me the most was this recent one. If only I had secured accommodation on campus, this wouldn’t have happened,” he lamented.

Mushab is among the many students at the Sokoto State University who endure the daily struggle of commuting from town to school. The buses are few, the queues long, and the pressure of securing a seat immense.

“There are many of us coming from town every day, and we all struggle to get into the buses because they are simply not enough. This is why I miss most of my lectures,” he added.

But for Mushab, the real problem goes beyond transportation. He says the scarcity of on-campus accommodation has been the root of his academic woes.

According to him, the university’s bed spaces are severely limited, leaving thousands of students like him with no choice but to live off-campus.

“There is limited bed space. The male hostel is just a single building, and with the thousands of students in the school, many of us can’t secure accommodation,” he said.

Mushab’s frustration is clear, as he expressed how missing lectures due to accommodation issues has harmed his academic performance.

Even if he had secured a spot in the hostel, Mushab doubts it would have been much of a reprieve. “The hostel toilet situation is too untidy for me to bear. Even if I got accommodation, I don’t think I could endure the state of the toilets.”

More students share struggles

Mushab’s plight is not an isolated one. Muhammad Mustapha, another 100-level Microbiology student at the Sokoto State University, shared similar concerns.

“The main difficulty I face every day is transportation. Since I couldn’t secure accommodation, getting to and from school has been a constant struggle. Most days, I wait for over an hour because there aren’t enough buses.”

Muhammad expressed how the stress of transportation has taken a toll on him. “If another hostel building was available, I’d apply in a heartbeat. The transportation stress is unbearable, and it’s costing me money I could have used for other things if I had stayed on campus.”

For Muhammad, the financial strain is just as challenging as the physical one. “The money I spend on transportation could have been used for more important things. If only I had accommodation, I wouldn’t be spending so much on commuting.”

Faizat Bande, a 100-level Computer Science student, also shared her frustrations. Upon admission, she learned that she could no longer apply for on-campus accommodation as the only female hostel had already filled up. “When I got admission, I couldn’t secure accommodation on campus because the hostel was full. The fact that there is only one female hostel building has discouraged many students from even considering this school.”

READ ALSO: FEATURE: Sokoto school struggles for attendance despite free education

Faizat, like many others, has missed numerous lectures due to the challenges of living off-campus. “I can’t count how many times I’ve missed lectures because I live off-campus. The buses are scarce, and even getting a bike to school can be a struggle.”

Saadatu Shagari, a 100-level Information Technology student, expressed her dismay over the state of the hostel and the lack of alternatives for female students.

“Having just one hostel isn’t ideal, especially for ladies. It’s difficult for us to go through the stress of finding off-campus accommodation. And the existing one needs serious renovation. Even if I got a space there, I wouldn’t be able to live in it because of its poor condition.”

The Project

According to the 2022 Sokoto State Budget, the state government budgeted and approved N70 million for a project titled “Construction of new Male and Female Hostels at Sokoto State University.”

This project was assigned to the Ministry of Higher Education during the administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

UDEME, a platform monitoring government projects under the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development, gathered that a yet to be completed hostel on the campus is funded by TETFUND.

Meanwhile, it is unclear if the funds for the state-sponsored project were released as it appeared as an approved budget line in the state budget document.

School authority reacts

The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Sodiq Shehu noted that the university has a total student population of ”8,000 to 9,000.” However, he says the major issue facing the institution is the limited availability of accommodation.

According to him, the male hostel comprises only one block with 96 rooms, while the female hostel has 54 rooms, which is insufficient compared to the number of students admitted each year.

“Overall, we officially accommodate only 600 students in both the male and female hostels, with the male hostel offering 386 bed spaces and the female hostel offering 214. This is out of almost 9,000 students we admit annually,” he explained.

When this reporter asked the Dean about the ongoing hostel construction, he directed him to the university Vice Chancellor for further clarification.

“I can’t say much more but what I confirmed is that the ongoing construction is primarily for females to reduce the accommodation challenges, especially for those coming from far distance to study in the university.”

Professor Bashir Garba, the Vice Chancellor of Sokoto State University, said the ongoing hostel construction is not funded by the state budget and that the university faces severe accommodation challenges.

“The hostel under construction is a TETFUND project, not a state-funded initiative. We would welcome additional construction from the state government, but so far, it remains a proposal that has not yet been awarded,” Professor Garba stated.

Efforts

The reporter’s efforts to get details of the contracts for the construction of male hostels were futile.

A letter was sent to the Ministry of Basic Education in Sokoto seeking permission to speak to the commissioner, but the ministry had yet to respond to the request for three weeks, and as of the time of filing the report.

According to Amina Aliyu the Personal Assistant to the Sokoto State Commissioner for Higher Education, the letter has been forwarded to the office of the Permanent Secretary for ‘review’.

However, when this reporter visited the office again, Mrs Amina noted that the Personal Assistant to the Permanent Secretary to the Commissioner had forwarded the letter to the office of the Director of Administration, Mallam Jubril Saadu.

She said, “I have submitted the letter to the office of the Permanent Secretary, and it has been forwarded to the office of the Director of Administration but there has been no response yet. Whatever he says, I will get you informed through a call.”

By: Abdullateef Abdullahi

This story was supported with funding from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

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