Usman Abubakar-Rimi, a final-year medical student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto State (UDUS), has revealed how the extended strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities led him to become a street food seller (ASUU).

Since February 14, 2022, thousands of students have stayed home due to the strike by ASUU.

According to Abubakar-Rimi, he came up with the idea so that he could have a productive life when students were forced to drop out of school due to the strike.

The student, who runs a restaurant in Sokoto’s Diplomat area, claimed that the prolonged strike provided him the chance to grow his business.

“I hired a store and put eight people to work running the tea and indomie stands, selling canned and bottled drinks, masa, rice, and beans, peppe soup, and meat in addition to the POS operation.

“According on the customer’s needs, a plate of food can cost as much as N200, according to Abubakar-Rimi in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

According to Abubakar-Rimi, he did not use a loan or a youth empowerment program to start the businesses.

“However, I took advantage of the COVID-19 shutdown during the epidemic and launched a business distributing eggs and chicken, using relationships I had built with restaurants to get the supply.

He said, “I also purchased the eggs and chicks from large-scale farms from low-volume suppliers to high-volume buyers, and from the earnings I formed the two businesses.

The student entrepreneur said the enterprises had a lot of potential and urged young people to consider how they might best use their time and launch successful businesses.

“I plan to keep running the businesses once I graduate due to the profitable prospects they offer.

“When I graduate from medical school, I want to work in something that won’t take up a lot of my time because I’m starting to lose faith in finding a position that would pay well.

He stated, “I want to open a pharmacy, work in a private hospital, and engage in privately created companies related to my profession.

He encouraged students to use their free time to start businesses, pointing out that the current internet services offered plenty of opportunities to take advantage of.

In the best interests of youth and the development of the nation, the student urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the strike permanently.

He also urged the federal government and lecturers to take into account the situation faced by the students as the strike’s effects intensify.