By Sunday Comfort
At the University of Maiduguri, the sound of lectures is not the only sound students hear during the day. Beyond the classrooms, lecture halls and libraries, some students are busy attending to customers, arranging products, keeping financial records and managing their shops.
For these students, university life goes beyond earning a degree. It is also an opportunity to learn how to build and manage a business.
Inside the University of Maiduguri market, students operate different types of businesses. Some sell clothes, shoes, cosmetics, food, accessories and household items, while others provide services such as printing, photocopying, phone repairs, hairdressing and other personal services.
What makes their stories interesting is their ability to combine business with academic responsibilities.
From Students to Business Owners
Owning a commercial shop while studying requires more than money. It requires planning, discipline and time management.
For many student entrepreneurs, the business started as a small idea. Some began by selling products to classmates and friends before expanding into shops within the university environment.
The university market provides an important advantage. Students have access to a large customer base because both students and members of the university community need different products and services.
A student who sells food, for example, does not need to look far for customers. Students need meals and snacks during the school day. Someone selling stationery, phone accessories or cosmetics also has a ready market among students and staff.
This environment gives student entrepreneurs an opportunity to test their ideas, understand their customers and gradually expand their businesses.
Managing Business and Academic Work
Running a shop while attending lectures is not an easy task.
Students have to attend classes, complete assignments, prepare for examinations and participate in other academic activities. At the same time, their businesses require attention.
Some students deal with this challenge by creating schedules. They divide their time between lectures and business activities. Others rely on trusted assistants, friends or family members to help manage their shops when they are in class.
Good time management becomes essential.
A student business owner who fails to attend lectures because of the business risks affecting academic performance. On the other hand, ignoring the business for too long could lead to loss of customers.
The ability to balance both responsibilities therefore becomes part of the learning experience.
Learning Beyond the Lecture Hall
For these students, the market serves as another classroom.
A student studying Mass Communication, for example, might learn about communication in the classroom but develop practical communication skills by interacting with customers every day.
Business owners learn how to speak with different types of people. They learn how to negotiate prices, respond to complaints, attract customers and maintain relationships.
They also learn about budgeting, stock management, record keeping and customer service.
These are skills that are difficult to learn only from textbooks.
Every sale becomes an opportunity to understand the market. Every dissatisfied customer becomes a lesson in customer service. Every business challenge provides an opportunity to develop problem-solving skills.
The Importance of Financial Management
Managing money is another important lesson for student entrepreneurs.
A business owner needs to know how much money is coming into the business and how much is going out. Without proper records, it becomes difficult to know whether a business is making a profit or losing money.
Students who manage their businesses successfully often separate business money from personal spending. They keep track of sales, expenses and stock.
Some also reinvest part of their profits into the business by purchasing more products or improving their shops.
This approach allows a small business to grow gradually.
Growing From Small Businesses
Growth does not always happen overnight.
A student might start with a few products and a small amount of capital. As customers increase, the student could introduce new products and increase stock.
For some students at the University of Maiduguri, having a shop within the university market provides a physical space where they can build their brands and develop loyal customers.
A shop also gives the business a sense of stability. Customers know where to find the business, while the owner has a permanent location for displaying products and serving customers.
Social media has also changed the way many young entrepreneurs promote their businesses.
Students can take pictures of their products and share them through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This allows them to reach customers beyond the immediate university environment.
Challenges Along the Way
Despite the opportunities, student entrepreneurs face challenges.
One major challenge is limited capital. A student might have a good business idea but lack enough money to purchase sufficient stock or expand the shop.
Time is another challenge.
Academic pressure often increases during examination periods. During such times, students have to decide how to keep their businesses running without compromising their studies.
Other challenges include competition, changing customer preferences, rising prices of goods and difficulties maintaining regular stock.
Some students also face the pressure of managing personal expenses while trying to reinvest their profits into their businesses.
Despite these challenges, many continue because they see entrepreneurship as an investment in their future.
Building Skills for Life After University
The experience of running a business while studying could prepare students for life after graduation.
University education provides academic knowledge, but entrepreneurship gives students practical experience in dealing with money, people, pressure and responsibility.
A student who learns how to manage a shop today could graduate with more than a degree. They could also have experience in customer relations, marketing, financial management and business planning.
These skills could become useful when searching for employment or starting a larger business.
For some students, the goal is not to remain small. They hope to expand their businesses after graduation, employ other people and turn their university businesses into established companies.
More Than a Source of Income
Student businesses are not only about making money.
For many students, entrepreneurship provides independence. It gives them an opportunity to contribute towards their personal expenses and reduce their dependence on parents or guardians.
It also creates a sense of responsibility.
A student who owns a shop has customers who depend on the business. Suppliers expect payment. Stock needs to be monitored. Money needs to be accounted for.
These responsibilities encourage students to develop discipline and maturity.
The Future Beyond the Classroom
The students operating businesses in the University of Maiduguri market represent a wider story about young Nigerians and entrepreneurship.
At a time when many young people are looking for ways to create opportunities for themselves, students are beginning to understand that education and entrepreneurship do not have to exist separately.
The classroom provides knowledge. The marketplace provides experience.
For the student entrepreneurs managing shops in the university market, every customer interaction, every sale and every business decision adds to their education.
Their university experience is therefore taking place in two spaces: the classroom and the marketplace.
And when these students eventually leave the university, they will carry more than certificates with them. They will also carry the lessons learned from building businesses, managing customers, handling money and making decisions.
For them, the journey to becoming successful professionals and entrepreneurs has already begun, long before graduation day.
