Editorial: Golden Age with Rusty Corners; The Truth of UDUS at 50

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On a calm night 50 years ago, the cry of a newborn rocked the entire country as it got into the hands of the midwives on duty. The capital of the then Northwest State welcomed its first federal government university; University of Sokoto. From that very night, the university has lived a worthy 50 years of learning, research, and producing fine minds. Of course, if five governors have once sat in a school or the current INEC chairman of a country was once a student of a university, then there is no doubt about the quality of graduates in learning and character they produce in such school.


In fact, the school’s teaching hospital has brought thousands of people back to the world on their journey to the great beyond, and the smell of old books in Abdullahi Fodio library is enough charm to fall in love with reading books. All in all, a big thunderous clap for the then small boy that got its name changed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University in 1988.

But wait, dear students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, should we clap with both hands or not clap at all? For us, campus life is still a mix of survival and endurance. Electricity? Unless you are studying in the school’s Teaching Hospital or City Campus, you will always contribute to the “mai charge” business in school. The current vice chancellor has shown fatherly love to his children with the installation of solar lamps in some classes at night, but you might as well need to buy a rechargeable lamp because the lamp seems to shine for some and blink for others.

If you care about hygiene in what you call your hostel, you may need to run to private ones; not because they are great but just because they are better. But then, you must at least be ready to argue over water with villagers living inside campus with you. And don’t even get us started on trekking, for after 50 years, the school still lacks a well-structured intra-campus transport system. If resilience were a degree, UDUS students would all graduate with first class.

The school portal is famous; not for working, but for frustrating. Logging in sometimes feels harder than passing Anatomy and Biochemistry combined. And who will complain on the students’ behalf? Maybe the student leaders chosen by the school themselves. Of all universities in Nigeria, UDUS is among the very few that have a verified Facebook page, yet the page is close to being non-existent at all. Our students are making giant strides, but the school hardly celebrates them. Meanwhile, when you check the Times Higher Education ranking of universities in Nigeria, UDUS sits confidently in the 21st seat. So even the academics we brag about still need some polishing.

So yes, 50 years is golden, but gold also rusts if it is not polished. UDUS has been one of the country’s prides in academics, but we need to go beyond classrooms. Students deserve adequate electricity supply, water, decent hostels, the freedom to lead themselves and lots more. Most of all, they deserve to be heard, as the real story of UDUS is not just in the books but also in the students who carry the university on their backs, trekking through heat and hardship, still smiling, still striving.


By Sebiotimo Abdullateef A.
Editor-in-chief 

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