I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as much culture shock as I did when I arrived at Unilorin. I chose the school because it was far from home—I wanted to explore life beyond the Northern region, where I’d always lived. At the same time, I wanted a place that would allow me to practice my religion comfortably, and Unilorin seemed like the perfect fit.

So, what was your greatest culture shock?
It’s the fact that the entire Unilorin culture seems built on their obsession with “Item 7.” I don’t think any event can truly succeed here without food being served. Their love for “Item 7” is something else—it’s almost like their lives depend on it! When I expressed my surprise to a friend, her response was even more shocking.

What did she say?
She told me to stop acting as if where I came from was any better. She said, “Aren’t there plenty of almajiris in the North?” and accused me of unnecessary classism. I wasn’t even trying to belittle anyone—I just found their obsession with food at every event unusual. I remember breaking things off with a guy I was dating in my third year because he seemed overly excited about attending a departmental event. When I asked him why, his answer was that there would be food. He thought I was joking at first and till today I didn’t even tell him why I broke things off with him. I don’t know, but something about that just irked me. It just feels like without food, events were basically non-existent. In fact, I’m convinced that if they ever remove Item 7 from their events, the school might just collapse. UniIlorin students and their food? It’s a love story for the ages.