“I left Ibadan for Sokoto State on 23rd Nov, 2016 for my National Youth Service program. I had expectations, setting out to Sokoto. Sokoto has been nice; but, honestly, it has been a bit difficult living with the Hausa and that is because of the differences in our culture and beliefs. For instances, the females are treated like nobody. As a female, you’re expected to cover every part of your body from head to toe. I don’t dress indecently tough, but when we use knee skirts they think of us to be sinners.
Their females don’t take leadership positions, they don’t have a say when the male is making a decision. They’re not permitted to work. They don’t even go to the market. The females just stay indoor, cook, take care of the children and give birth. The men work, they go to the market to get foodstuff – pepper, meat and other things needed in the house. Even, he goes to get the clothes his wives and children will use. The female traders are either Yoruba, Igbo or Togolese Immediately, you are seen as a female (either buying or selling) in the market, they know you’re a stranger.
I teach in a government secondary school, the girls are given a chance to go to school but they marry them off before they finish. Those who want to wait till after school get married immediately after sec school. There was a case of a girl in my school who refused to write SSCE because she wanted to get married. It was her personal decision to get married and her parents supported it. She refused to wait. What of those who had just two papers left with their WAEC and they traveled to Ibadan to start repairing shoe all in the name that they needed money. It’s sad. Also, in school, the males and female don’t share the same classrooms. They have different classrooms.
The interesting thing, and perhaps irony too, is that in this part of the country, education is free for those indigenous to Sokoto from primary school to any level they wish to be educated to. Also, as long as you’re acquiring your education within the states, government pays for the WASSCE, NECO and UME/JAMB registration. Those in higher institutions are given monthly allowance in as much you’re an indigene. Maybe this why they don’t believe in family planning since government spends money sending the children to school and not them personally. The only thing parents do is feeding and probably clothing the children. So, there’s no urge to do family planning.
I’ve missed a lot from Ibadan. The first thing I miss is the cool and conducive weather. Here in Sokoto, the weather is extremely harsh. Everything about the weather is extreme – the cold, the heat…everything. This last Monday for example, temperatures were about 52degrees Celsius. We had to wet our bedspread with water and then cover ourselves with wet wrappers too. The weather is harsh like that. When it gets extremely cold, we wear head-warmers, pull overs, socks, gloves…anything just to keep us warm.
I also miss the nice foods of Ibadan, here in Sokoto, the only foods available are carbohydrates – mainly rice, noodles, spaghetti, potatoes. I have tasted Fura and Masa and Tuwo shinkafa. I really like Tuwo shinkafa. I miss my family and friends – I miss the time we’ve always had and shared together.
However, there are good things too, here in Sokoto. The standard of living is extremely low, things are extremely cheap. Presently, a bag of rice is N13,000, The power supply is very good and so are the roads. Though, Sokoto state is more peaceful than Ibadan, all the same, there’s no place like home.”
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