“I remember what you did to me in year 2000”, Aisha Yesufu shares encounter with Uni professor teaching an empty class in viral video

A Nigerian university lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria whom activist for good governance, Aisha Yesufu has described as professor Ehinmidu sparked outrage on Nigeria’s social media space through a video in which he was filmed teaching an empty.

The lecturer arrived at the classroom to deliver his lecture but did not see any students but rather than wait for the arrival of his students, he began teaching an empty class.

Reacting to the viral video, foremost Nigerian activist for good governance and bring-back-our-girls convener, Aisha Yesufu reminisced her encounter with lecturer during her master’s degree program at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 2000.

While the video which shows professor Ehinmidu teaching an empty class has attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians some who accuse the professor of being overzealous and apathetic, Aisha Yesufu in her reaction, insinuated that the professor is known for such an act. She narrated that during her master’s degree program that the lecturer, Ehinmidu who in year 2000 was a professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, also taught empty classes whenever his students failed to show up in time.

She wrote: ” This was Dr Ehinmidu now Professor Ehinmidu (Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology) ABU Zaria. In the year 2000 during my Masters I met him lecturing like this to an empty class. I ended up being the only student in class that day. It was a 7am lecture and I had to come from Kaduna to Zaria. I was about 8 minutes late and man was already teaching”.

While some criticized the professor for teaching an empty class, some also praised him for his relentlessness over the years; a tradition he has tacitly upheld across years, aimed at imbibing in his students the importance of punctuality and unwavering commitment to their studies.

Here are a few reactions to the video on X:

@Joy123 wrote: this is nice; he has gone to class and delivered his lecture, if the students like, let them keep sleeping at home.

@Imadey: this happened to me in my uni days; some would even conduct a quiz even if it’s two persons that are in the class.

@Mohammedabass: ” I think this should be stopped; sometimes, the students might not be aware of this kind of early lecture while the lecturer does his what he likes”

@Faithai1: “this man is obviously being overzealous and apathetic at his age. He should have acted maturer; why teach and empty class and record it? In Nigeria, your lecturers do everything possible for you to fail but this is the opposite in western countries as UK. Here, your lecturers seek your success not your failure. Everyone is complaining about our education system but refuse to know that it’s not just about commitment; there should be unwavering passion for the job”.

@icicyclone: ” 7 am. Is that not too early.Lecturing an empty classroom is not an achievement. This kind of person believes that if the medicine is not bitter, it doesn’t work”.

@Yozayi: ” We like making things hard for people in our country and yet we complain why people behave anyhow. 7am is too early for lectures. 8am should have been fine. Teaching an empty class is misbehaviour. He shld have just written on board, or left handouts,or wait till d time is over”.