As tertiary institutions across the country prepare to resume after six months of staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, students have relived their experiences outside the world of academics and their engagement in various skill acquisition programmes, reports TUNDE ADEBAYO (IBADANPOLY).
The coronavirus has severely crippled activities around the world, the education sector not left out. In Nigeria, as soon as the confirmation cases reached double figures, schools from nursery to tertiary/postgraduate, both private and public institutions, were shut.
And for almost six months, students remained mostly at home. This was because the alternative to classes, e-learning, was sub-standard.
Some schools do not even have the infrastructure to engage in it. While some schools had vacated, others were on strike before the lockdown.
This inactivity over a long period of time, with a seemingly indefinite end, has forced students to find other areas of interest.
Interestingly, the past decade had seen the inclusion of entrepreneurship study in the educational syllabus. Also, lucrative vocational training has been re-branded as a viable alternative to academics. This meant that when the lockdown occurred, about a sizeable percentage of students already had an alternative skill to learn as schools stayed shut.
However, with the rate of unemployment in the country, some students decided to acquire skills that would be beneficial and make them self-employed. This , according to them, will also make them contribute to the country’s economy.
Samson Oluwafemi, a 300-level Marketing student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, noted that the state of the economy and the effects of the pandemic on it were expedient to learn a trade.
“With the state of the economy and the damaging effects of the pandemic contributing to it, acquiring new set of skills is a great eye-opener for many. However, I made up my mind to learn graphic design. Considering I am studying Marketing, graphics was a new experience for me to broaden my horizon,” he said.
For Timothy Olaniran, an HND student of Civil Engineering at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, the lockdown afforded him the opportunity to create digital adverts, promotion, branding and web design.
“It hasn’t been easy. You know, this lockdown was unexpected. But I had to learn web designing, graphic designing and then also French Language. I help clients on digital adverts, promotion, branding and the likes. And, to be honest, I wouldn’t have acquired these skills had the pandemic not occurred. So, I would say, the lockdown was a blessing in disguise,” he said.
Mariam Fawaz , a 200 level Physics student at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, noted that she had to hone her tailoring skills to become a better designer.
She said: “After the announcement, I dreaded having to travel home to Ogun State, and I was a bit depressed not knowing I was in it for six months. But after a month, I realised that the virus wasn’t going anywhere so I just stopped hoping and faced my trade. I had enough time to fine-tune my tailoring skills. Then I thought about the need for face masks in my city, and in the first few months, I made more than 5,000 face-masks, and I sold out more than that. I made it affordable for people in my town.The lockdown has helped me achieve quite a lot.”
Another student, Azeez Ganiu, who studies Electrical Engineering at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, said: ”During the lockdown, I acquired skills on solar energy. And I’ve since been active on the construction of electric panels, breakers and other industrial gadgets. I study Electrical Engineering, but there’s little we can learn in class, so I chose that route of learning more from active technicians so that I would add the practical knowledge to the theory learnt in class. It’s more than just an added knowledge, I feel a strong sense of completeness after finishing my training, something I won’t have found time for had there not been a lockdown,” he said.
On her part, Blessing Ajuwon, a final year student of Chemistry at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, said she was able to learn soap-making and cream productions.
She said: “I took online classes and some physical classes in cosmetology, it wasn’t really hard for me to grasp because I have been studying Chemistry. But it did take some time before I was actually able to get running on my own. Since July, I’ve had my own line that I sell to friends and family and I can say it took my mind off the frustration caused by pandemic.”
Simisola Ogundare, a Computer Science student at the University of Ilorin, noted that the lockdown gave her the opportunity to learn hair dressing, fashion and make up.
“At first, the emergence of COVID-19 and the stay-at-home order by the government for weeks gave students ample time to rest.
“However, when it dawned on me that schools wouldn’t resume as early as expected, I decided to sign up for courses online on fashion, make up and hairdressing. Though it was not easy to keep up with the online courses due to light and network issues, I can boldly say that I can do different make up, wigs and sew pretty gowns. All these I learnt and mastered during the lockdown,” she said.
Folami Ojo, a Political Science student of Oduduwa University, Ife, said: “To be honest, this whole issue of the coronavirus made us spend too much time at home.
“I delved into forex trading and crypto currency. I’ve always had a strong interest in them but the lockdown gave me a lengthy free period to go into them. I’m gaining financially from it, crypto currency especially comes easy for me, and I can do better with forex.
“Learning this wasn’t easy. It was hard to find a genuine teacher these days. Most people want to swindle trainees, while others have not even learnt enough to teach. So, I did intrinsic research, read books, watched YouTube videos and Telegram trends, Nairaland trends to have various angles to this complicated trade, and with this, I learnt enough to be a standard trader.”
For Elizabeth Adesina, a 200 level student of Economics, University of Calabar, the lockdown came at a better time as she was able to learn catering and interior decoration. According to her, the way things are going in the country, white collar jobs are hard to find, hence, the lockdown gave her the opportunity to explore other areas of endeavour.
She said: “When the lockdown began, and later continued, I saw it as an avenue to learn catering and decoration. It has been my dream to learn a trade because I do not want to rely on my certificate when I finally graduate. In fact, the economy does not encourage over reliance on college certificates. Every year, the labour market keeps swelling, and the jobs are not readily available. So, learning catering and decoration has really been beneficial because I can support myself financially, rather than depending on my parents.”
A student of Computer Science, Olumide Fuwa of the University of Ibadan whose final exams were delayed as a result of the lockdown said he learnt graphics and has been making money from it.
He said: “I have been making money more than I’ve ever thought I could without my certificate. If not for the lockdown, I would not even know I am worth this much. I made five figures for just a graphics banner for these online firms. You know the virus forced everyone to go online, so often I get to design a platform for webinars, fliers and all, and it just keeps getting better, all that was on my mind was the Youth Service, but now, I don’t even think about it again”
Zaynab Ahmad a fourth year Mass Communications student at Ado Bayero University, Kano, said: “One would find that Nigerians are a hardworking lot with strong resolve to get things done by getting their hands on lucrative business despite the scarcity of opportunities. Though the lockdown made it strenuous for one to engage in some activities. I won’t say I learnt any trade during the lockdown, I already learnt baking and I am doing well. Then as a campus journalist I have to keep students updated on things happening in Kano while I’m miles away.”
Femi Olatunde, a 200-level student of Human Kinetics,University of Ilorin, noted that learning shoe-making was worthwhile during the lockdown. According to him, the trade has afforded him the opportunity to try his hands on making shoes for his family and friends.
“I had the opportunity to learn shoe-making during the lockdown. In fact, I made shoes for my friends and family members. Again, if I decide to stop schooling today, I have what it takes to be financially independent,” he said.
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