ASUU Strikes 2025: How Students Dey Waka Their Hustle During Shutdown
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Once again, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike don put Nigerian students for the hot seat. The ASUU strikes 2025 gist dey everywhere as university campuses across Naija don turn ghost towns. While lectures pause and books gather dust, students dey find ways to survive and hustle their own way.
From side hustles like food delivery, POS business, and online content creation, to unique skills like hairdressing and barbing, many Nigerian undergraduates don turn the strike to opportunity. This no be the first time ASUU strike dey scatter academic calendar, but this year e come with fresh lessons, hot debates, and plenty wahala.
If you dey follow Nigerian education updates, you go sabi say ASUU strikes dey affect more than just classrooms. E dey touch family finances, local businesses, and even the mental health of students wey dey wait for "school go resume" gist. Naija youths dey resilient sha, and their street-smart survival strategies dey give us gist wey sweet and inspiring.
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Why ASUU Strikes No Dey End Anytime Soon
Every year, ASUU dey lock horns with the Federal Government over unpaid salaries, poor funding, and decaying infrastructure. 2025 no different, as lecturers complain say government never fulfill agreement wey dem sign years back. While politicians dey argue for Abuja, students dey stranded for home.
For one student wey talk am bluntly: “Naija education system don turn to comedy show. ASUU strike be like Big Brother eviction, you no fit predict when e go end.”
Some key reasons why strikes continue:
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Salary arrears and unpaid allowances
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Poor infrastructure for universities
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Failure to implement government agreements
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Union-government trust issues
Sadly, na students dey carry the biggest burden.
Hustles Students Don Enter During the Strike
Instead make dem dey idle, Nigerian students don dey waka with different hustles to survive. In fact, the ASUU strike 2025 don show the creative spirit of Naija youths.
Tech and Online Jobs
Plenty students dey jump into:
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Freelance writing and graphics design
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Social media influencing
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YouTube skits and comedy videos
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Online tutoring
Tech dey open doors, and many dey use strike time to learn coding or UI/UX design.
Street Hustles Weh Pay
For the ones wey no too get access to laptop or internet, strike dey mean:
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Running POS kiosks (“Oga run 2k for me, I go withdraw quick!”)
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Okada and Keke business for those wey sabi road
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Tailoring, barbing, and hair braiding for neighbors
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Food selling and delivery
Naija students dey streetwise. Even lecturers sef dey shock say their students dey survive like full-time entrepreneurs.
How Families and Communities Dey React
Parents dey vex, because instead of seeing pikin graduate, dem dey see endless strike calendar. Some mothers dey even joke say “I send you go school, you turn POS operator.”
Communities also dey benefit small, because students dey pump energy and business ideas for local towns. From Ogbomoso to Nsukka, from Benin to Maiduguri, the strike dey turn students into active members of the local economy.
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The Mental Health Side of the Strike
But no be all hustle sweet. Some students dey go through depression and anxiety because their plans dey on hold. Imagine final year student wey suppose graduate March 2025, but now him convocation don move go who-knows-when.
Common struggles include:
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Frustration of wasted time
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Pressure from family to "do something"
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Losing motivation to return to academic work
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Fear of unemployment after school
Still, the resilience of Naija students dey inspire plenty. Many dey use prayer, support groups, and even humor to cope. As one 400-level student talk am: “If strike go continue, at least make dem dey give us certificate of hustling.”
ASUU Strike and Nigerian Pop Culture
Trust Naija Twitter and TikTok, the ASUU strike gist don turn to meme content. Skit makers dey act lecturers, comedians dey mock FG-ASUU meetings, and hashtags like #ASUUStrike2025 dey trend.
Yoruba slang like “awon government yi sha” (these government people eh) and Pidgin phrases like “na who go pay my rent na im I dey follow” dey dominate the conversation. Nigerians dey use humor as coping strategy.
How Strike Dey Affect Nigerian Economy
No be only students dey suffer. The local economy around universities dey bleed:
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Hostel landlords dey lose rent
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Food vendors and canteens dey lose daily customers
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Transportation business dey slow down
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Printing shops and cybercafés dey idle
This ripple effect dey show how education no be just personal matter but national economic driver.
Possible Solutions to Endless ASUU Strikes
Every year, Nigerians dey ask the same question: “When this wahala go end?” The answer fit dey for real reforms:
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Sincere government funding – not lip service.
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Alternative dispute resolution – instead of strike-first approach.
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Autonomy for universities – let them generate and manage funds.
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Prioritizing education as investment – not just campaign promise.
Until then, Nigerian students go continue to hustle through every shutdown.
Student Voices: How They Dey Cope
Some real-life takes from campuses:
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“Me I don dey do hair business, I fit even pay my school fees from am.” – Lagos student
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“Strike no easy, but I use am learn digital marketing. Now I dey manage one small business online.” – Ibadan student
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“Na my parents I pity. Dem dey wait for graduation since 2023.” – Enugu student
Their stories show pain but also resilience.
Conclusion
The ASUU strike 2025 don scatter plans for thousands of students, but Nigerians no dey ever dull. From hustling for money to building skills, undergraduates dey show creativity and strength in the face of academic uncertainty.
What this strike prove be say Naija students get survival instinct wey no fit die. Dem dey waka, dem dey hustle, and dem dey turn challenge to opportunity.
👉 Drop your thoughts for the comment section below. How you take see the ASUU strike 2025? You dey hustle, or you dey wait make school resume?
#ASUUStrike2025 #NaijaStudents #NigeriaEducation #NaijaHustle #ASUUGist #NaijaScene
