First-class graduate resorts to sachet water hawking as job search yields no results

In a moving video circulating online, Sham’unu Ishaq, a first-class graduate of Education, Biology from Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University in Katsina State, has shared his struggles to survive since graduating on July 5, 2023.

Despite his academic achievements, Ishaq has been forced to take to the streets, hawking sachet water to make ends meet after months of unsuccessful job searches.

“I graduated and had no job, so I started selling pure water sachets for survival,” Ishaq explained in the clip, describing the hardship he endures daily. “Here in Katsina, there’s nowhere to even find something to do to improve my life.” Displaying his notification of results, the young man revealed how his daily income from hawking barely sustains him, allowing only for basic meals with little left to save or invest in a better future.

In an appeal to Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda, Ishaq highlighted the toll that financial instability has taken on him and his family. “As the governor can see, I graduated from university with no job, and poverty is trying to kill me,” he said, expressing desperation over the lack of employment opportunities despite his qualifications.

Ishaq also called on Nigerians nationwide for support, stressing his readiness to work in any role available. “This sachet water business is my only lifeline for now. I don’t need help only from the state government; I need support from Nigerians everywhere—north, south, east, or west. I just need help.”