By Amina Halilu Muhammad
Hostels for many a university student is ordinarily relief from home. But across many higher institutions in the country it is one sad tale or the other. The story of hostel life in Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Lapai, Niger State, is all too farmilair for those who have had to school and live in a public university in Nigeria.
To say the least, the state of hostel facilities in IBBUL is deplorable. The hostels lack basic amenities such as clean water, proper sanitation, and electricity.
Inadequate hostel facilities can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression among students, ultimately affecting their academic performance. Students who live in poor conditions are more likely to fall ill, miss classes, and perform poorly in exams.
The objective of this article is to highlight the issues surrounding inadequate hostel facilities in IBBUL and to propose solutions to address the problem.
Students paid the sum of N20, 000 for bed space in the hostel but the condition of the hostel is likely to be compared to those in IDPs camps. Common issues associated with hostel living in IBBU include overcrowding with students forced to share small rooms with multiple roommates.
One of the consequences of the overcrowding is poor sanitation. The rooms are often than not untidy, running and overflowing gutters leading to rodents’ infestation. Further to this are non-functional toilets coupled with absence of clean running water and adequate electricity.
Owing the poor infrastructure, there have been cases cholera, typhoid, and malaria outbreaks besides the psychological and mental distress faced by students which ultimately affect their academic performance.
Recently, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Suleiman Mohammed Hadi, visited the hostels and was displeased with the condition of the hostels.
Prof. Hadi was shocked to note that some of the hostels barely have their roofs in place and assured the students of his management’s commitment to overhaul the hostels and improve the living condition of the students.
It is encouraging to also note that the Student Union Government (SUG), under the leadership of Muhammad Muhammad Ganako seems to have realized its role as the mouthpiece of the students and is now raising the deplorable nature of the hostels with the school’s administration.
More than the assurances of renovation, the long term objective should be the provision of more hostel facilities. Doing so will decongest the overcrowded existing ones and will potentially lead to improved academic performance, better health outcomes, and increased student satisfaction.
Halilu Muhammad is a student of Mass Communication Department, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, IBBU, Lapai, Niger State.
