By Esther Bassey
When the gates of Nigeria’s public universities are locked during Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes, it is not only lecture halls that go silent. Dreams are paused, timelines distorted, and students are left grappling with uncertainty about their future.
For many, it is a season of waiting, because days turn into weeks, weeks into months, with no clear end in sight. Parents worry, students lose momentum, and careers are delayed. The effect lingers long after the gates are reopened.
For Cephas Joshua, a student of the University of Uyo, the last strike was more than a disruption; it was a setback to his academic aspirations and career goals.
“It clearly resulted in low passion for studies and a decline in fulfilling academic aspirations prior to that time.
“Imagine a student who is supposed to study a course for a specified period of time, but spends more than the actual period of time. So much time has been wasted under the veil called strike,” he said with a tone of frustration.
The story is not different for Sunday, a University of Lagos student, who recalled the impact of the eight-month-long strike he experienced.
“My studies were put on hold, and it affected my motivation. I felt like I was losing touch with my academic goals.
“For my career, I’m anxious about entering the job market late, which might affect my competitiveness,” he explained.
Both students also described the psychological battles that came with the prolonged break.
For Joshua, the most difficult part of resuming was the inner struggle.
“It was a ‘me’ issue, always fighting to intentionally revive my zeal for studies and realign my focus, which had been distorted by distractions and other facets of life,” he said.
Sunday echoed this, saying it took him time to settle back into academic life after months of inactivity.
“The most difficult part was getting back to the academic routine. It felt rusty, and it took some time to get back into the swing of things,” he disclosed.
Despite these hurdles, they both developed strategies to regain lost ground. Joshua surrounded himself with academically driven peers, devoted prolonged time to personal study, meditated on his aspirations, and leaned on accountability from graduates who kept him motivated.
Sunday adopted a structured approach, creating a study plan, reaching out to lecturers and colleagues for help, and staying organised to keep track of assignments and deadlines.
During the strike, Sunday also ventured into online freelance work to earn money.
“It was challenging to balance work and studies when school resumed, but I managed to adjust and prioritise my academics,” he added.
Behind the struggles of students are parents bearing financial and emotional strain. Juliet Cephas, the mother of Joshua, lamented the disruption.
“Having a child idle at home for months is heartbreaking. You keep feeding and supporting them, but there is no academic progress. It is wasted time, and as a parent, you worry about their future,” she said.
Offor Obla, Sunday’s father, expressed similar frustrations: “Every extra year wasted means extra expenses. We planned for four years, but strikes stretched it beyond that.
“It is discouraging for us as parents and painful for the children too,” he said.
On the other side, lecturers often tread carefully when asked to speak on ASUU issues. Dr Godwin Ekop, a lecturer, simply noted: “On consultation, I’m not competent to comment on ASUU issues.”
His response reflects the delicate balance lecturers maintain in navigating union matters while focusing on their academic duties.
Despite all of this, both Joshua and Sunday remain hopeful. Joshua insists that his “renewed passion, discipline, and re-strategising of goals” will ensure timely graduation.
Sunday, too, is confident. “With focus, time management, and hard work, I can overcome the disruptions and still achieve my academic goals,” he said.
As classrooms once again buzz with activity, their stories remind us that beyond policy debates, strikes leave behind disrupted lives that must be painstakingly rebuilt.
Students like Joshua and Sunday prove that resilience is possible, but the scars of unstable academic calendars linger long after the gates are reopened.
The post How Nigerian students rebuild academic lives post-ASUU shutdowns appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
