By Patience Yohana
On the campus of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), content creation is becoming more than a pastime. From TikTok videos and daily vlogs to skits and campus entertainment, students are increasingly turning their everyday experiences into content for online audiences.
What was once largely associated with professional entertainers and influencers is now becoming part of student life. With smartphones and social media platforms providing easy access to audiences, students are finding ways to combine academics with creativity, entertainment and personal branding.
For Emmanuel Bata Balami, a student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, content creation began in May 2026, driven largely by his passion for acting.
“My motivation to begin is my passion for acting,” Emmanuel said.
Emmanuel creates content centred on campus life, entertainment and student experiences. His goal is to make students’ lives more fun while capturing the atmosphere and energy of university life.
His experience reflects one of the major attractions of content creation among students: the opportunity to turn personal interests into something that can engage a wider audience.
Adama Adomai, a final-year student of the Department of Mass Communication, focuses mainly on vlogs, outings and “day in my life” videos.
Adama primarily uses TikTok, a platform she believes gives her content greater visibility.
“I mostly post on TikTok because I believe it amplifies a lot of things. It is a platform that has several niches and I get most viewers on it,” Adama said.
For Adama, the benefits have extended beyond views and followers. Content creation has also created opportunities to attend events and gain recognition.
“Most of the events I attend, I mostly get invited because of the content I create,” she said, adding that the experience has also brought her recognition within her surroundings.
As she prepares to graduate, Adama hopes to continue creating content after university.
“I believe or I hope I can sustain content creation after graduation,” she said.
Her experience suggests that for some students, content creation is gradually becoming more than something done for entertainment. It can serve as a means of networking, self-expression and opening doors to opportunities.
However, balancing content creation with academic responsibilities remains an important consideration for students.
Othiniel Boniface, a student of the Department of Physics, believes content creation does not necessarily have to interfere with academic work if it is properly planned.
“You can balance that, because it is not every day you are going to be shooting content,” Othiniel said.
According to Othiniel, creators can produce several videos in a single day and use them throughout the week. This allows them to dedicate other days to their studies.
“In a day you can shoot like five or more videos and you are done for a week, so you will just continue with your studies. It is not a daily task,” Othiniel explained.
Othiniel also started creating content in 2026. Beyond entertainment, he sees content creation as a way of building connections, gaining recognition and potentially reaching a large audience.
“I just find pleasure in that and also by that means you can build connection and also be well known, plus going viral,” Othiniel said.
For students like Emmanuel, Adama and Othiniel, the attraction of content creation lies in different places: acting, documenting everyday life, entertainment, networking, recognition and the possibility of reaching a large audience.
The rise of student content creators also reflects a broader change in how young people communicate and build their identities online. A student’s experience on campus can now become a story, a vlog, a comedy skit or a short video capable of reaching people far beyond the university.
At UNIMAID, campus life is therefore becoming not only something students experience but also something they create, record and share.
As more students pick up their smartphones to document their lives and explore their creativity, content creation may continue to grow as an important part of campus culture—one video, vlog and skit at a time.
