Low turnout at YSU despite ASUU strike suspension
Story from Maryam Saleh Isah
Yobe State University has seen a low turnout of students since officially reopening on July 29, 2025, following the suspension of the ASUU strike.
Although many students had expressed frustration over the academic disruption and were eager to return, lecture halls are still not full almost two weeks into the new semester.
The university environment is slowly picking up, but many classes still have low attendance. A report from Campus Reporter Maryam Saleh Isah sheds light on why students haven’t returned in full force.
“Only 30 out of 100 Students in Class”
Muhammad Isah Muhammad, a student in the Department of Education and Business, noted the low attendance in his classes. “Attendance has been very low,” he said. “You can have a class of 100 students and only 30 will be present, meaning about 70% are absent.”
READ ALSO: ASUU-YSU calls off indefinite strike
Muhammad believes two main factors are contributing to the slow resumption. “For some students, it’s become a tradition to resume two or three weeks after the official date. Others come from poor backgrounds and have to struggle to buy foodstuffs or get financially ready before returning to campus.”
According to Muhammad, even lecturers are concerned about the low turnout, especially with pressure to make up for lost time. “Yesterday during our accounting lecture, the lecturer told me he expected nearly all students to have resumed. They were instructed to compensate for the two weeks lost to the strike, but the turnout didn’t reflect that.”
Muhammad urged his fellow students to return quickly, as exams are approaching. “Exams are just around the corner – in the next seven weeks. Academic activities have already started. Anyone who delays risks being left behind.”
“I Can’t Afford to Resume Without My Salary”
For Ahmad Jajere, a final-year Geology student, the issue is not a lack of desire to return, but a matter of survival. “I haven’t resumed yet because I come from a poor background,” he explained. “I’m waiting to receive my August salary so I can buy foodstuff and also cover my transport fare to return to school. Without that, I simply can’t afford to resume.”
Jajere’s situation highlights the financial struggles many students face, particularly those who live off-campus and must balance their studies with financial responsibilities amid economic hardship.
READ ALSO: Inaugural KMT-BOND enhances students’ welfare, disburses ₦1.750M to Yobe tertiary institutions
While the academic semester has officially resumed, the reality in many lecture halls is different. The combination of financial difficulties, a habit of late returns, and the short notice after the strike’s suspension has resulted in a noticeable gap in student attendance.
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