By: Amanatullahi Yusuf
Yusuf Al Imam’s heart danced with joy upon learning of the convocation’s grand finale at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Envisioning the vast opportunities amidst over 22,000 graduating students– he and five other entrepreneurs eagerly boarded separate buses, each costing a substantial 18,050 naira.
Their journey was not just about attending; it was a venture filled with anticipation, hustling spirit, and the promise of profitable outcomes at the event.
Yusuf, a Kwara-based photographer
known for his hustling spirit, expressed disappointment at the low turnout of students at the convocation.
Unlike previous events where he reaped profits, this time, he struggled to even cover his expenses. Sleeping in the convocation arena due to the unavailability of affordable accommodations further dampened their experience.
Yusuf is a hustler who travels to various states in Nigeria to attend their convocations. He recently attended the UNIBEN convocation. He claims that in previous convocations he attended, he earned up to one hundred thousand naira but this time around, he hasn’t even made twenty thousand naira.
He expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s so disappointing that I had to call my brother to send me 10 thousand for upkeep, and now I’m left with only 5 thousand. I regret coming here.”
Expectation Versus Reality
Among the entrepreneurs was Ummulkulthum Ishiaku, who came from outside the campus to sell food and snacks at the event.
Despite her optimistic outlook, she faced poor sales– attributing it to the unexpectedly low crowd turnout compared to her experiences at other convocations.
She complained that she started with over fifty thousand Naira on the fourth day, and she made only a quarter of it.
“ Today is a bit better, but it’s still very poor.
Despite the profit being poor on my first day here, I was encouraged that it would get better, especially with the expectation of a lot of crowd on the fifth day,” said Umukulthum.
However, there’s just a slight difference in profit, not enough to cover for her loss.
According to her, she attended convocations at FUT Minna and KWASU, where she made successful sales. Encouraged by this, she decided to attend the convocation in Sokoto––hoping for even better profits.
“ I have attended convocation ceremonies in FUT Minna and also KWASU and all went as expected.”
“ Convocation Should be Celebrated Annually to Maintain Excitement” – Jegede Sunday
Jegede Sunday, a photographer from Osun State, recounted the stress he and his colleague underwent to reach the convocation venue—a journey spanning from Tuesday to Thursday.
Sunday saw the event as a potential gold mine, motivating them to leave Osun for Sokoto.
“It was only after arriving here that I realized the expected number of students was not attained,” said Sunday.
He emphasized the need for convocations to be more frequent––citing the financial constraints that deter many graduates from attending such events.
“ I believe this Convocation is a practical example that all that glitters is not gold and that the road might be rough but we will one day get there.”
Sunday reflects on this experience and suggests that convocations should be celebrated annually to maintain excitement and participation.
He acknowledges that not all graduates can afford to attend immediately due to financial constraints or other reasons.
In his words, he said: “By holding convocations annually, graduates who receive notifications can plan to attend in subsequent years which can potentially increase attendance and make the event more vibrant. And this could also benefit the school by attracting a larger crowd.”