How Does the ASUU Strike Affect Students? (The Real-World Impact)

How Does the ASUU Strike Affect Students? (The Real-World Impact)

Let’s be honest, nothing prepares you for that feeling.

You’ve paid your school fees, maybe even travelled back to campus, and just as you’re settling into the hostel, you see the news: “ASUU begins warning strike.”

It’s frustrating. It’s exhausting. We’ve all been there.

But how does the ASUU strike affect students beyond just sitting at home? The impact is massive, and it messes with your life in ways people don’t always talk about.

As someone who has seen this cycle repeat for years, let me break down the real damage these strikes do.

The Academic Calendar is Completely Ruined

This is the most obvious one.

That four-year course you signed up for? It’s now five years. Or six. Or more.

You watch your friends in private universities graduate, go for NYSC, and even get jobs, while you’re still stuck in 300 level.

It’s a massive delay that disrupts your entire life plan. Your timetable for graduation, service, and maybe even a Master’s program gets thrown out the window.

The Financial Drain (On You and Your Parents)

Let’s talk about the money. This is where it gets really painful for so many students.

Many students pay for hostel accommodation or off-campus housing. When a strike hits, that rent just keeps counting. Your landlord doesn’t care about ASUU.

You’ve paid for a full year, but you’ll only use maybe five months of it. That’s money down the drain.

Then add the transport fare to school and back home again. The foodstuff you bought that will now spoil. It all adds up, and it puts serious pressure on your parents or guardians who are already trying their best.

You Forget What You’ve Learned

This is a big one. You might think, “Great, a long holiday!”

But here’s the problem: after three, four, or even eight months at home, do you remember that complex formula from MTH 201? Or the key theories from your Sociology class?

You get rusty.

When school (finally) resumes, lecturers will be in a hurry to cover the syllabus. They’ll rush through topics, and you’ll be left struggling to catch up on things you’ve long forgotten. It’s a recipe for bad grades and a poor understanding of your own course.

The Psychological and Mental Toll

We have to talk about mental health.

It’s depressing. You’re at home, idle, while your life is on pause. You log onto Instagram and see your age-mates making progress. The pressure from family and neighbours starts… “You never still graduate?”

It’s easy to feel hopeless, anxious, and completely stressed out about the future. This is a real, serious effect that’s just as damaging as the academic delay.

It Devalues Your Certificate (The Hard Truth)

This is the one that hurts to say, but it’s true.

When you apply for a Master’s program abroad or for a competitive job, the first thing they see is “University of [Your School], Nigeria.”

Unfortunately, the constant strikes have given Nigerian public universities a reputation for being unstable. It’s not your fault, but as the BBC has reported, this instability can make foreign schools and employers wonder about the quality and consistency of the education you received.

So, What Can You Do During ASUU Strike?

Okay, so you’re stuck at home. It’s not fair, but sitting and complaining all day won’t change the situation.

This is what I tell my students: use the time.

Don’t just binge-watch movies or scroll through TikTok for 8 months. You have to take control.

1. Learn a High-Income Skill. I’m serious. This is the #1 way to turn this waste of time into a massive advantage. Go on platforms like Coursera or YouTube and learn coding, digital marketing, graphic design, video editing, or even a trade like fashion design or baking. You can come out of the strike with a skill that can pay your bills.
2. Get an Internship or Volunteer. Even if it doesn’t pay much (or at all), it gives you real-world experience. A CV that shows a 6-month internship looks way better than one with a 6-month gap. It shows you’re a serious person.
3. Read. I don’t just mean your school books. Read books on finance, leadership, history, or anything that interests you. Just keep your brain active.

Look, the ASUU strike situation is tough, and it’s a huge problem stemming from the long-standing issues between the union and the Federal Government, as Nigerian news outlets like The Guardian frequently cover.

But while you can’t control when the strike ends, you can control what you do with your time.

Don’t let the system define your future. Use this forced break to build yourself into someone even more skilled and prepared. Take charge.