Due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, students of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), say they are tired of staying at home, so appeal to the federal government to open all schools.
For many students in various tertiary institutions across the country, especially the undergraduates of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), their experience in the last six months are everything, but memorable, because their university, like many other higher institutions in the country, have remained under lock and key since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
The Coronavirus pandemic, which has, and is still ravaging many countries of the world, forced the federal government to shut down schools, hence, putting a halt to academic activities.
Though a cross section of students, who spoke to this reporter, said they were not so bothered on how long the COVID-19-induced vacation lasted, as they had been engaged productively, since the outbreak.
Many other BUK students maintained that closing of schools by the federal government was an ill wind that eventually blew no good. As such, they are begging the government and school authorities, to expeditiously put in place relevant measures for the reopening of their school.
“We want the pandemic to end in no distant time. We cannot wait to resume school. Staying at home, in the last five months, has been everything, but fantastic,” a female undergraduate, Ikram Basheer, said.
Basheer, who is a 300-level Law student, however said, she had not been idle all through the lockdown.
“I have enrolled for some online IT skills acquisition training, even as I have been busy learning tailoring. I also assist my parents and older siblings with various house chores and domestic activities,” she said.
As for a 300-level student in the department of Chemical Engineering, Umar Ajah, the closure of universities, and other tertiary institutions, across the country, as a result of COVID-19, will definitely affect the academic calendars of schools.
“Our academic calendar has since been affected. The consequence of this is that the graduation periods of the final-year students at BUK, and even other schools, have been extended,” Ajah said.
The engineering student continued: “The COVID-19 pandemic has affected me in so many ways. It has extended my academic programme duration. Besides, staying at home has also made me lazy. But thank God, I still have learned how to survive difficulties and hardships.”
While speaking to this reporter, a final-year student of Mass Communication, Fatima Idris, said the COVID-19 lockdown, which affected academic activities, helped her to hone her creative talents, while also nurturing her entrepreneurial skills for personal development.
According to Fatima, the lockdown helped her to discover her potential.
“I was able to understand, in depth, the nation’s economy. And not only that, I have learned how to survive in these hard times,” she said.
The graduating Mass Communication student expressed worry over the fact that many of her colleagues have become lazy due to the shutting down of schools, made worse by the rising cases of COVID-19.
Another student who preferred anonymity said if schools remained shut longer than necessary, the academic and career dreams of many promising youngsters may be prematurely aborted.
On her part, a student of Political Science, Agnes Uloko, pointed out that COVID-19 has done more harm than good, especially to students, and the nation’s education sector.
“It started like a joke, but after staying at home for over five months, the reality has now dawned on me that my graduation is going to be anytime, but this year,” Uloko said.
Other students, who spoke to this reporter, appealed to the federal government to devise potent ways of containing the spread of the lethal virus.
All BUK students appeal to the federal government to meet the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) demand, in order for academic activities to resume across universities in the country immediately after lockdown.
Clement Pius is 400-level Mass Communication student at BUK
