There were people who bought fruits from us in large quantities but two out of three have stopped buying. Not that they reduced the quantity they used to buy but they stopped; and not that they wanted to stop the business but the economic situation in the country forced them out of business,” Hamza Garba, a fruit seller told Saturday Tribune during the week in Ibadan.
Garba said it was never his plan to leave Kebbi State where he came from for any reason, however, some circumstances led him to Ibadan, Oyo State, four years ago.
The fruit seller, who is also a tailor, said he came to Ibadan through his friend after he had completed his diploma studies because he could not afford to further his studies due to lack of the resources to do so.
He said one of the major challenges of education for young people is not the desire to learn rather, the resources to see them through school.
“I have been in Ibadan for over four years; I come and go back frequently. I stay for three to six months in Ibadan then go back to Kebbi for a month. I have other businesses in Kebbi, I’m a tailor there and I sell fruits here.
“I never knew I would come to Ibadan to hustle, it was never part of my plans. Even in other northern states, I never saw myself doing petty trades like this but some circumstances led me here.
“I came to Ibadan through my friend; we supply watermelons in large numbers together. He does wholesale while I sell in retail but sadly the market has gone down drastically.
“The high cost of fuel has forced people that used to buy goods from us to stop because some of them cannot even afford transport back home after the day’s business. The money they would have left after settling those they bought goods from would not pay for their transport home and back the next day,” he said.
When asked if the unemployment rate in Nigeria was part of why some young people no longer believed in going to school, the Computer Science diploma graduate said education is not only to get a job but it has other benefits.
“Education is not primarily obtained for one to get a job but education is helpful in ways you cannot even imagine. There are places that you can get to because of your education not necessarily to work. Education is useful in getting you there.
“For many, it is money that is the problem and not the desire to get education. There are many young people that want to go to school. In fact, just like me, I have completed my ordinary diploma and I would love to get a degree but because of the economy; everything has gone up so I had to put my education on hold for now.
“I completed my diploma at the Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi in 2019. I have a diploma in Computer Science. I wanted to go further and get a degree but I couldn’t because I lack the resources and now business has become my primary focus,” Garba said.
Garba told Saturday Tribune that regardless of the scarce resources, he had not given up on his dream of becoming a computer scientist as he dreams of studying to Ph.D. level.
“It is still in my heart to further my education and by God’s grace I want to study up to doctorate level in computer science. You know it is God that brings everything to pass. So, I’m looking up to Him,” he said.
