Most students go through university without serious problems, but a few simple habits make you much safer. This guide covers personal safety, scams that target students, online safety and emergencies.
Everyday safety habits
- Move in groups at night, and stick to well-lit, busy routes.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, especially if you are travelling or meeting someone new.
- Use known transport. Avoid entering vehicles that already have several strangers inside, especially at night.
- Keep your phone charged and save emergency contacts, including your hall warden and campus security.
- Do not display expensive items unnecessarily in isolated places.
Scams that target students
- Fake hostel or apartment agents who collect payment for rooms that do not exist or belong to someone else. Inspect the room, confirm with the landlord or hostel office, and get a receipt.
- Admission, result or "upgrade" fixers who promise to change grades or secure admission for money. These are frauds, and dealing with them can get you expelled.
- Fake job and scholarship offers that ask you to pay a fee first. Genuine scholarships do not ask winners to pay to receive them.
- Bank and payment scams: calls or messages asking for your PIN, OTP, BVN or card details. Your bank will never ask for your PIN or OTP.
- "Double your money" investment schemes that promise high returns quickly.
Be careful about pressure groups
Be cautious of anyone who pressures you to join a secret group, promises protection or power, or asks you to attend initiation meetings. Secret cults are banned in Nigerian universities and membership can lead to expulsion, prosecution and serious danger. If you feel pressured or threatened, speak to the student affairs office, a trusted lecturer or campus security.
Online safety
- Use strong, different passwords for your email, school portal and banking apps, and turn on two-step verification.
- Do not share your portal login with anyone, including people offering to help you register.
- Think before posting your location, room number or travel plans publicly.
- Be careful with people you meet online. Meet in public places and tell a friend.
- Never send money or intimate pictures to someone you have only met online.
Drinks and parties
At parties, keep your drink with you, do not accept opened drinks from strangers, and leave with the friends you came with. Look out for each other.
In an emergency
- Call 112, Nigeria's national emergency number, and campus security.
- Know the location of your campus clinic and the nearest hospital.
- In a fire, leave the building immediately by the nearest exit and do not go back for belongings.
- Report crimes and threats to campus security and, where appropriate, the police.
Staying safe is not about being afraid. It is about small habits that keep you in control, so you can focus on your studies and enjoy campus life.