Amidah Lateef: Is There a Hostel Crisis in Nigerian Universities – and What Does It Mean for Students?

At 6:15 a.m., while most students living in school hostels are still preparing to wake up, Michael Awolowo is already dressed and waiting by the roadside. He carries his backpack in his hand and fixes his eyes on passing buses. A 300-level student of Public Administration at Osun State University, Michael begins his daily routine this way because he lives off campus.

“I don’t wake up early because I want to,” he says. “I wake up early because I have to.”

Across universities, many students can relate to Michael’s routine. As student populations continue to grow, hostel spaces remain limited, which forces more students to live outside the university campus. Only a small percentage of students can be accommodated in the campus hostels.

“I applied for hostel accommodation in my first year, but I didn’t get it. I had to look outside.” Michael explains.

Like Michael, Amina Yusuf, a 200-level Sociology student of Osun State University, shares similar experience. “I really wanted to stay in the hostel,” she says. “Everyone talks about hostel life as part of the university experience. But when I didn’t get a space, I had no choice.”

With universities admitting more students every year without building enough hostels, many students are forced to rent rooms or apartments outside the school. For students like Michael and Amina, off-campus living was not a decision made out of preference, but out of necessity.

What Living Off Campus Is Really Like, and What Students Face

“When you live off campus, nobody wakes you up for lectures,” says Sadiq Musa, a 400-level Nutrition and Diaetics student of Osun State University. “You have to be disciplined.” Sadiq shares a flat with two other students. They split the rent and other bills. While it has a similar arrangement of sharing a room like the campus hostel, living off campus offers Sadiq the freedom to leave the room to go study elsewhere.

Although that freedom can also be costly. “If you’re not disciplined, off-campus life can affect your studies,” Sadiq warns. When you’re free to go anywhere, you can be easily distracted. But a lot of parents prefer their children to stay close to family members or in safer neighbourhoods. Like Amina, whose parents insisted she stay close to an uncle.

Off-campus students deal with landlords, neighbours, and sometimes poor facilities. “There are days when there will be no light or water,” Amina says. “You just have to manage.” Despite these challenges, many students say the experience helps them grow. “I’ve learned how to plan my money,” Grace says. “I know how much I can spend and what I should save.”

However, transportation is one of the biggest challenges off-campus students face. Unlike hostel residents who can walk to lectures, off-campus students must rely on buses or long walks. “There are days I leave home by 5:30 a.m. for an 8 a.m. lecture,” Michael says. “If there’s traffic, you’ll still be late.” He says transport costs affect students’ finances. Some students miss classes because they do not have enough money for transport.

Another challenge of living off-campus is how expensive, beyond transportation, it gets. “Hostel fees look cheaper, but there are other costs,” Joseph says. “Feeding alone can be expensive.”

Rent also remains a major challenge. “Rent is a big problem,” Sadiq admits. “You have to plan well or share with others.” For students from low-income families, off-campus living can be stressful, especially when parents struggle to support them.

While some students are forced to live off campus due to limited on-campus housing, others voluntarily leave after experiencing hostel life. They decide it is not suitable for them.

Joseph Babalola, a final-year Accounting student of Lead City University, stayed in the hostel during his first year but moved out afterwards. “The room was overcrowded,” he says. “We were meant to be four, but we were six. Someone is always playing music, receiving visitors, or talking on the phone. I needed a quiet place to focus on my studies.”

Some, like Grace Olamide, a 300-level Education student of Lead City University, are influenced to leave school hotels due to the stringent rules. Most campus hostels have curfews, and visitors are limited. While it is for security purposes, some students find it uncomfortable.

The effect of off-campus living on academics differs from student to student. “Off campus gives me peace to study,” Joseph says. “There is less distraction.”

However, Michael admits that commuting affects his study time. “After coming back from school, sometimes I’m very tired,” he says. “But I try to adjust.” Most students agree that discipline is key.