When I gained admission in 2019, my parents were desperate to send me to a private university. "No strikes," they said. "Better facilities," they said. "No cultism," they said. They wanted to pay ₦2.5 million annually for me to study Business Administration in a school that felt like an expensive secondary school — uniforms, no phones, strict rules, and zero real-world exposure. I refused. I chose UNILAG instead. They were disappointed. They thought I was throwing away my future for "street life." But here is what private universities don't tell you: they are bubbles. They produce graduates who are academically sound but socially naive. They shield you from the chaos that is Nigeria, and then dump you into that chaos at 22 with no survival skills. At UNILAG, I experienced strikes. I experienced transport struggles. I joined student associations. I negotiated with difficult lecturers. I learned to survive without daddy's credit card. I started a business selling phone accessories in the hostel. I networked with people from every tribe and class. I learned street smarts that no classroom can teach. Today, at 26, I run a logistics company with 12 staff. My friends from private universities? Most are still dependent on their parents, waiting for "connections" to get jobs. They are polished but helpless. I am rough but resourceful. Is the private university premium actually a disservice? Are we raising a generation of Nigerian children who are too sheltered to hustle? Parents, would you let your child choose a federal university over a "safe" private one? Let's debate.
