By Shehu Uthman
On a scorching afternoon at UDUS, the aroma of freshly fried dankali drifted through the School Mini Mart, drawing dozens of hungry students to roadside food stalls. Among them was Abubakar Lawal, a 400-level Hausa student, clutching a few naira notes in one hand and racing against time before his next lecture.
Like hundreds of UDUS students, Abubakar did not choose Dankali de Awara because it is his favourite meal alone. Instead, he chooses it because it is the quickest, cheapest and sometimes the only practical way to silence his hunger.
"The taste of dankali and awara is good," he said with a smile. "I prefer awara because of its nutrition and taste."
His lecture timetable often stretches across the day, leaving little opportunity to prepare meals.
"The best option for me is to eat light food because heavy meals make you sleepy in class," he explained.
Abubakar believes Awara, made from soybeans, provides sufficient protein to sustain him through long academic hours. However, while he appreciates its affordability and convenience, he worries about something many students have come to notice.
"The vendors should stop using their bare hands to serve customers. They should wear gloves."
His concern reflects a growing anxiety among UDUS students who depend on these roadside meals every day.
A Meal That Fits the Student Lifestyle
Hawa'u Malami, a 200-level English and Literary Studies student, said Dankali and Awara perfectly suit the pace of campus life.
Affordable, filling and quick to prepare, the meal has become one of her regular choices.
"It tastes good despite being a quick meal," she said. "It saves both time and energy, especially for students like me."
However, convenience does not erase her concerns. She recalled watching vendors slice cabbage without properly washing it and serve customers immediately after handling firewood, dirty nylons or other contaminated items.
"Sometimes the frying oil is left uncovered while people pass by, allowing dust to settle inside," she observed. "Overall, the level of hygiene isn't encouraging."
To improve food safety, she believes vendors should prepare food in cleaner, enclosed environments and separate cooking from serving.
"One person should fry while another serves customers with disposable gloves. It doesn't make sense for the same person handling dirty items or wiping sweat from their face to immediately serve food."
Despite these shortcomings, she admits students continue buying the meals because they remain one of the few affordable options available.
"We buy the food because it helps us survive. Improving hygiene would simply make it safer."
When Convenience Comes With Hidden Risks
The concerns raised by students point to a broader public health challenge associated with street food hygiene.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 600 million people, almost one in every ten globally, fall ill each year after consuming contaminated food, leading to an estimated 420,000 deaths annually. Children under the age of five account for almost 40 percent of those deaths.
Similarly, research conducted among food vendors in Kano metropolis paints a similarly worrying picture. The study found that only 18.7 percent of street food vendors possessed good knowledge of personal hygiene, while 29.5 percent demonstrated poor knowledge and 51.8 percent had only fair understanding.
Several researchers also established a significant relationship between education and hygiene practices, concluding that poor awareness of basic food safety remains widespread among many food handlers.
For students who depend on roadside meals almost daily, these statistics transform everyday eating into a matter of public health.
Balancing Affordability and Safety
Many students acknowledge the hygiene concerns but continue buying the meals because alternatives are either unavailable or unaffordable.
Among them is Nafisat Ishaqah, a 400-level Energy and Applied Chemistry student, who enjoys the crispy potatoes and soft, well-seasoned Awara but believes hygiene standards differ significantly from one vendor to another.
"Some vendors maintain good hygiene, while others should improve by covering their food, using clean utensils and paying more attention to personal cleanliness,” Nafisat said.
Similarly, Ayuba Ismail Zahradeen, a 400-level law student, buys Dankali and Awara not because it's his favourite but because it's the available food on campus.
"I don't have any option as far as Minimart is concerned. There are no varieties of food, and sometimes I will be exhausted and will not have the strength to cook," he lamented.
Also, David King, a 400-level student of Microbiology, revealed that he budgets a specific amount for dankali and awara daily, which has helped him plan his finances. He goes for this food because it's affordable.
"After garri, the least expensive food that one can buy is Dankali and Awara. Most times, I find myself at the Dankali and Awara vendors if I have tight schedules to get something to quickly eat," he said.
"I am satisfied sometimes, and sometimes I am not, especially if I'm very hungry and I cannot cook. I just manage the hunger," he added.
The Quiet Reality Behind Student Survival
For some students, choosing Dankali and Awara carries an unnecessary social stigma. Abubakar Sadiq, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student, believes such perceptions are misplaced.
"Some people think buying dankali means you're broke. I don't agree."
To him, the meal represents practicality rather than poverty.
"It's simply an affordable choice. Sometimes it's the fastest way to deal with hunger," he said.
Others have become selective about where they buy.
Muhammad Muhammad, a final-year Energy and Applied Chemistry student, says he observes vendors carefully before making a purchase.
"I don't buy from every vendor. Cleanliness matters."
His biggest complaint, however, has little to do with hygiene.
"Nothing is worse than paying for cold dankali. It ruins the appetite."
Meanwhile, Hamidat Hussein, a 400-level Business Administration student, says she genuinely prefers Dankali and Awara because of its distinctive northern flavour.
"I love the aroma. Maybe it's because it's Arewa food."
For Maryam Muhammad, a 200-level Mass Communication student, affordability remains the deciding factor.
Although she spends about ₦500 per meal, she admits it rarely keeps her full.
Cooking, however, is hardly cheaper once ingredients are considered.
"Preparing meals can cost between ₦1,000 and ₦1,500 a day. Buying food on campus is expensive too, but we don't really have another choice."
Vendors Weigh In
One vendor at Benji explained that sales soar during academic sessions but drop sharply once students leave for holidays.
"During vacations," she said, "only a handful of customers buy."
At the School Mini Mart, Rahana Abinbola Musa, who has sold Dankali and Awara for eight years, acknowledged the concerns surrounding food preparation.
She explained that with the rising cost of cooking oil and other ingredients, changing oil frequently is financially difficult.
Despite these challenges, she insisted vendors remain committed to feeding students every day.
“Nutritious, But Not a Complete Diet” — Expert Warns
While many students rely on dankali and awara as an affordable meal, Muktar Muhammad Mailato, a lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, during and exclusive interview with DIGEST PRESS, says the combination of Dankali and Awara offers considerable nutritional value but should be consumed in moderation.
According to him, Awara is rich in plant-based protein and essential minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, while Dankali provides carbohydrates that supply the body with energy. Together, they offer a fairly nutritious and affordable meal, although they do not constitute a complete balanced diet.
"The combination of awara and dankali provides protein and carbohydrates. While it cannot be called a complete healthy diet because it lacks some essential food groups, it still provides significant nutritional benefits."
However, Mailato warned that frequent consumption of overly fried foods, repeated use of cooking oil and excessive salt may increase the risk of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
He also noted that many vendors are unaware of recommended salt limits, while students who depend heavily on the meal often miss out on fruits, vegetables and fibre, increasing the risk of digestive problems such as constipation.
"Dankali and awara can remain part of a student's diet, but it should be eaten in moderation, prepared hygienically, and complemented with fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet,” he warned.