Funmilayo Thomas
The geometrical increase in student population at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba- Akoko (AAUA)has continued to lead to accommodation tussle among students and the indigenes. There are limited numbers of student hostels within the campus and this is pushing many students to look for accommodation in off campus locations. Presently there are only 3 female hostels and 1 for students with disabilities. One other male hostel is located in Ikare-Akoko, a 9 kilometre away from the university community.
The challenges created by this housing scarcity, in both on and off campus, is encouraging law of demand and supply effect with attendant higher cost of accommodation prices. This is gradually pushing pressure on daily students’ financial stability.
Students population and housing demands
In 2022/2023, the management of Adekunle Ajasin University admitted 6,290 students and in the 2023/2024 academic session, 6,670 students were admitted respectively. The population keep increasing with no clear strategic effort in ensuring a corresponding increase in accommodation facilities
As expected landlords and private house owners are taking advantage of the situation by extorting higher prices from everyone including indigene but more especially from the student community whom they believe will have more resources. Meanwhile the condition of most of the houses leave much to be desired.
Many of the makeshift or emergency houses that serve as hostels within the town lack basic facilities ranging from inadequate water, power supply, while many have no ventilation and are located in unhygienic environments with high levels of insecurity, among others.
.Students’ opinion differ in their choices
For many students living on off campus locations, safety concerns had become a major issue. Richard Akande, Princess, a student of the institution, expressed her reason for choosing to stay in the hostel, as she emphasizes safety as a primary concern. She said, “I chose to stay in the school hostel because I believe it is safer and staying under the school authority would at least assure my safety a little bit.”
Akande Princess(photo credit: Funmilayo Thomas)
She further illustrated challenges faced by students staying off campus which includes reported constant burglar attempts, breaking into or defacing of students’ hostel facility or room, theft of valuable items, harassment from fellow villa mates or indigenes and lack of access to clean water and among others. These experiences have taken a toll on students well-being, reflecting the broader impact of such issues on students residing off campus.
Akinola Busayo( Photo credut: Funmilayo)
However, Akinola Busayo said she opted for available off campus hostels that allowed students to attend online lectures. This is a good advantage for him. Akinola mentioned that by living off-campus he can have a more private and independent living space without anybody disturbing his peace with rules.
Durodola Abayomi Moses, a student of Adekunle Ajasin University who resides at the only boys’ hostel maintained by the school. Moses highlighted the challenges he faces daily as a resident in the male hostel in Ikare-Akoko. “Many of the boys in the hostel can be unruly too as the hostel is located far away from the campus community, ” said Moses.
According to him, despite all, he does not allow this to affect him academically. But for Moses, strict hostel regulation can hamper the social life of students. Many male students also do not consider the option of staying in the school male hostel.
Eniola Amadu, a 200 level mass communication student mentioned the reason he opted for off-campus accommodation. According to Eniola he opted for off-campus residence because the boys hostel is located in Ikare which is far from the school.
However, to Eniola this choice has its challenges. Staying off –campus can make students miss or arrive classes late. The cause of this can either be as a result of commercial drivers’ activities or unprepared for daily high cost of transport fare.
The waiting time to find a taxi going your way can be up to 30 minutes or an hour. In terms of cost of transportation, I spent an average of one thousand five hundred naira daily from Supare to Akungba. On days I do not have such an amount, I stay at home.
AAUA management’s efforts
According to report two agencies, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Ondo State Oil Producing Development Commission (OSOPADEC) started the construction of hostel projects a few years ago which could have been a great relief, Unfortunately, these two projects had been abandoned since 2014, But there seems to be a ray of hope as the projects had been awarded in 2023.
On the 16th of May 2024, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, while on a visit to these project sites, expressed optimism that the long-abandoned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Hostel Complex in the institution will soon be completed. Prof. Ige said, “This project has been on for a very long time, but shortly before the end of 2023, the contract was reactivated, we do hope a speedy completion will bring relief to the accommodation shortage the student community is experiencing”.
Prof Akanbi Olusegun
Prof. Olusegun Akanbi, the school’s Dean of Students in an interview with this reporter said one of the things the Vice Chancellor (VC) had in mind before assumption of office is to have enough number of halls of residence for both male and female, including the people with disability within the university community.
“The Vice Chancellor initiatives are yielding results with the reactivation of the award of NDCC hostel construction. Besides, he is still in conversation with relevant stakeholders and we do believe all these will yield results soon”. Prof., Akanbi said
Cover photo credit:; Veracity
#Funmilayo Thomas, a campus journalist and 2024 campus Journalism fellow of Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals sent this story from Ondo State
