University of Ibadan Graduate Shares How 6-Month ASUU Strike Changed His Life Completely
- A University of Ibadan graduate shared how a six-month ASUU strike in 2003 became a turning point in his life
- He stayed on campus with friends, focusing on self-development, reading, and learning practical skills during the strike period
- They also engaged in activities like swimming, fish farming, and popcorn making, turning the disruption into a productive experience
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A graduate of the University of Ibadan, UI, Ola John Oluremi, has shared how a prolonged academic strike changed his life for the better.
The graduate recounted his experience in a LinkedIn post on March 20, 2026, while reflecting on a six-month strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in 2003.
Source: Twitter
UI graduate weighs in on ASUU strike
According to him, while many students and colleagues returned home during the strike period, he and a few of his friends decided to remain on campus and use the time for self-improvement.
He said they dedicated themselves to reading books and learning practical skills, such as using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
The UI graduate further revealed that they engaged in other activities, including learning how to swim, starting small-scale fish farming, and even making popcorn as part of their efforts to remain active and resourceful.
Source: Twitter
Reflecting on the experience, Oluremi said what many students saw as a setback turned out to be one of the most impactful periods of his life.
His LinkedIn post read:
"At that period in time, while 99.999% of Students went home due to the prolonged strike, I and few of my friends at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria stayed back on Campus (KUTI HALL) and decided to dedicate ourselves to self-development through extensive reading and studying of Leadership, Administration, Management, Business, Historical and Political books in order to broaden our knowledge and to remain relevant.
We equally engaged ourselves in learning how to use basic computer tools like Microsoft Word & PowerPoint. In a related development, we used that same period to learn how to swim by constantly practicing at U.I SUB swimming pool every afternoon.
It is pertinent to mention at this juncture too that we equally learn how to make popcorn and went into small scale fishing farming exercise.
In all, as part of the sacrifices we made, we committed our limited financial resources in buying books and newspapers towards achieving our goals. We equally got ourselves a small transistor radios for the purpose of getting ourselves staying current and up to date with modern news in and around the world at that particular point in time.
I must confess that while other students saw ASUU SIX MONTHS STRIKE as a bad development, we saw a great opportunity in the said strike by engaging ourselves in personal self-development activities which to us is one of the best moments we have ever experience in our life journey.
23 years after that incident, I am most grateful to God that I took that decision to engage in my personal self Development journey.
In summary, the greatest investment you can do for yourself at this critical period is to heavily invest in your self development scheme. Remember that all you need to advance yourself are already on line.
In conclusion, please don't despise your days of little beginning.
In all, to God alone be all the Glory."
UI graduate falls inlove with once-rejected course
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a UI graduate shared how he accepted Agricultural Engineering despite initially aiming to study Mechanical Engineering.
He disclosed that early struggles and failed transfer attempts later pushed him to fully embrace the course.
He added that his growing interest improved his performance, leading him to graduate with First Class Honours.
Source: Legit.ng
