Students

Coping with Poverty in Universities

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Poverty in Universities

Poverty level in Nigeria has propelled students of the University of Port Harcourt, a citadel of learning, to cry out to their institution management and government considering the present economic recession and negative impact of the hike, to reconsider the high price of school fees. As of 2023, newly admitted students of the Federal University of Port Harcourt paid N190,000 – N205,000. But in 2024/2025 academic sessions, the same newly admitted students are paying N210,000 – N234,000. Uniport school fees which was formerly N45,000 for returning students have been increased to N78,000. and their hostel fee which was N25,000 – N35,000 doubled in 2024/2025 academic sessions to N50,000 Amidst Poverty, tertiary  institutions other than Uniport have over 200 per cent hike in registration and tuition fees for students in 2024, according to a report by The Punch Over 40 universities including boarding schools in Nigeria have increased their school fees. These universities posted the new prices of tuition fees on their official websites amidst resumption of newly admitted students. These universities includes UNIUYO, University of Ibadan, LASU, UNILAG, Obafemi Awolowo University, UNIPORT, UNN, amongst many other Due to these poverty, students not only in Uniport but other tertiary institutions have devised a means of getting their school fees paid. “Some students don’t have parents or strong sponsors for their education. Considering the hike in fees coupled with recession, tons of students will be forced to go into prostitution, stealing or illegal means of funding.” said Lisa Francis, a 200 level student of Federal University of Port. Speaking with Vera Francis, a Uniport law student. “This could also lead students to drop out entirely if the means of sponsorship is not sorted out.” According to recent World Bank data, the poverty rate in Nigeria is estimated to be around 38.9%, meaning a significant portion of the population lives below the poverty line, which significantly impacts students in tertiary institutions by limiting their access to education due to financial constraints, affecting their ability to afford tuition, basic necessities, and study materials, potentially leading to poor academic performance and even dropping out Amidst this poverty and murmurs came Nelfund What is Nelfund? The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is a federal agency that provides student loans in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act into law on April 3, 2024, establishing NELFUND A 200 level student in the department of broadcasting in Uniport who will prefer to remain anonymous said. “When I got admission I was frustrated because I had no money to pay for my school and registration fee. Poverty coupled with inflation has disabled everyone, especially me. I decided to apply for student loan in nelfund. I was approved by the company after some weeks and my loan was disbursed into my account.” students who are struggling with fees, act now! Secure your future by applying through the @NELFUND social media channels.” He added. Nelfund has alleviated poverty amongst students and helped so many in continuing their academy pursuit amidst economics crisis. The Fund disclosed this on Monday in a statement signed by its management and shared with PREMIUM TIMES. NELFUND said it has received a total of 364,042 student loan applications since inception and has approved 192,906 applications. The Fund said it has disbursed a total of N20 billion (N20,074,050,000) for institutional fees as of 3 February. It added that it has disbursed twelve billion (N12,818,960,000) as upkeep to 169,114 students Students in tertiary institutions have also devised means of overcoming poverty ingself e dthrough buying and selling of snakes, clothes, and cleaning agents, hairstyling, makeup artistry, tailoring, and joining of profitable organizations.   Also Read: Effects Of Climate Change On Human Health    

When a Student’s Envy Turns Criminal

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Ikemefuna will never get fat. He was the type of person who could eat endlessly without gaining an ounce.  It was astonishing to see him consume large amounts of food without any visible weight gain. A good wonder as I watched in envy as he effortlessly glided from one chair to another in the cafeteria, laughing and whispering with the girls. I wanted his life. Such perfection – his slender, tall, and handsome physique. He was so captivating that all the girls he interacted with showered him with attention and affection. They touched him, some in a modest Christian way that didn’t go unnoticed and some in an open carnal manner. As I sipped on a Coke and devoured a doughnut, I couldn’t help but feel envious. Ikemefuna had eaten the same treats just moments before, yet his body seemed immune to the calories. I couldn’t resist the temptation to indulge, thinking that if he could do it, why couldn’t I? But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just about the food – it was about the injustice of it all. One person got to have it all, while I felt like I was stuck in a perpetual state of inadequacy. I was the antithesis of Ikemefuna in every way. Where he was slender and graceful, I was rotund and clumsy. My body seemed to absorb every calorie, every morsel of food with alarming efficiency. Rolls of flesh hung over my belt, and my cheeks were perpetually flushed and puffy. When I walked, I waddled, my thighs chafing uncomfortably with each step. My ill-fitting school uniform strained at the seams, buttons threatening to pop at any moment. However, what I lacked in looks, I compensated with my brains and so while Ikemefuna had all the girls for a while, they came back to me when it was time for Maths, English, Physics and Chemistry. But despite my academic prowess, I couldn’t help but feel like I was living in Ikemefuna’s shadow. The girls would praise me for my academic achievements, exclaiming, “Cheta, you’re the best!” “Your head is too hot!” and “Man like Cheta!” But their admiration was always tempered with distance. They would never touch me or smile at me the way they did with Ikemefuna. I knew then that no matter how hard I tried, no one would ever find me attractive and then the hate started creeping in. Months later, when they asked why I did it in the juvenile home I was confined to. I told them it was a social experiment, I was a science student and just wanted to see if what our chemistry teacher said about hydrogen peroxide was true. So I poured a little into a can of juice and convinced Ikemefuna to taste it and see if he could tell the difference between that brand and another. Poor Ikemefuna, as innocent and as stupid as he was commented on the strange smell but drank it anyway. I felt the strange pull to stop him and confess what I wanted to do but the resentfulness I felt towards him was greater than anything else. He started to laugh afterwards and told me it tasted awful. I wasn’t expecting an immediate result. In fact, I didn’t know what to expect but I knew that the foaming from his mouth, his eyes rolling to the back of his socket and his muscles contorting in ways that seemed impossible was insane. That image of him haunted me for days even after he was confirmed okay by doctors and I was withdrawn from school. It didn’t make sense to say I wanted the life of a classmate so bad that I had tried to harm him out of envy, so I concocted a story about a social experiment gone wrong. READ ALSO: When Family Becomes the Most Important Destination

18 Students Hospitalised Over Food Poisoning In Osun State

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18 Students Hospitalised Over Food Poisoning In Osun State

18 students of St. James Primary School B, Osogbo, Osun State, have been reported to have been hospitalized after taking a mid-day meal served to them under the free school feeding programme of the State Government. The Osun State Government has begun investigations into this case of food poisoning while directing that further meal preparation at the affected school be put on hold pending the outcome of the investigations. A statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, obtained in Osogbo on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, read that the Governor of the State, Senator Ademola Adeleke took immediate actions when the matter was reported to him. According to the statement, the victims have been treated and discharged from hospitals. The statement read, “Osun State Government has ordered full investigations into the reported cases of food poisoning at St James primary School B, Owoope Osogbo. “The State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, directed immediate action when the matter was reported to him by the Special Adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Ayodele. The Governor has subsequently directed the stoppage of further food cooking at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations. The statement narrated that, “The affected cooks in the said schools alongside the planning officer for the O-Meal programme have also been summoned to a meeting by Tuesday morning. Additionally, the governor has directed enforcement of food standards and control as well as the auditing of the O-Meal structure to forestall future occurrences. (sic) “Meanwhile, the government is settling the medical bills of the affected students as narrated by the Chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Mr Nathaniel Ojetola. The LGEA Chairman who was at the forefront of the intervention efforts disclosed that a total number of 18 students were treated and discharged”, the statement explained further. “The total student population of the school is 200 while 103 are within the population receiving food from the O-Meal Programme. A government delegation is also visiting families of the affected students”, it concluded. The incident which happened on Monday, December 11, 2023, caused panic, especially among parents of the affected students, who shared videos of them on hospital beds on social media. In one of the videos, three of the affected students were recorded receiving IV drips. Narrating their ordeal, one of the students said they were served rice with egg, after which they started running stools. Also in the video, the mothers of the students said they observed the foul smell of the egg their children were served when they returned home from school on Monday, December 11, 2023. They said their children started stooling not long after returning from school, raising concerns about the food the vendor served them. They further demanded an investigation into the incident to prevent future occurrences.