Following the present security situation in Borno State that led to the closure of the University of Maiduguri, the institution is now almost like a ghost town, putting many petty traders, cafeteria operators and other service providers out of business. The state is witnessing challenges arising from Boko Haram as the economic and social lives of the town have been grounded.
Our correspondent who visited the institution reports that academic and non-academic activities are completely grounded, as most workers of the university have deserted the institution. Banks operating on the campus were also closed down as directed by their headquarters, due to the prevailing security situation in the state.
A food vendor, Mr. Yusuf Musa who operates on the main campus, told our correspondent that he had closed down his canteen as students were not around and according to him, he was in the food business in the first place because of the students and therefore, does not make sales when the students are not around.
He said the business had suffered a serious setback, as the students had been away on holiday and had returned just before the recent closure that sent them off again. He said that he was considering leaving the campus to start another business elsewhere, as the incessant closure of the university had greatly affected his business.
Mrs. Fatima Mustapha a soft drinks and sachet water seller said, “The closure of the university took us by surprise. I will try my hand at another business, because I cannot stay idle; I need to do something to alleviate the suffering of my family.”
A lecturer with the Department of Sociology, who did not want his name in print, said that the closure of the institution would certainly affect the academic calendar and appealed to the university authorities to tighten security around the university. He said the school had been deserted by both academic and non-academic staff because of the security situation, adding that some of the staff had moved their families to their villages and other areas they consider safe.
A banker with one of the new generation banks that operates on the campus, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that their campus branch stopped operation last week as directed by their headquarters office, due to the security situation in the state. He added that it was even difficult for customers to use the ATM, as the network was very erratic.
A stationery dealer, Ahmed Musa, told LEADERSHIP that he would close his shop and start another business because, according to him, opening his shop had become a waste of time since the closure of the institution, because most of his customers were the students.
The university was closed down two weeks ago due to the security situation in the state, which the management of the institution described as a threat to the university.