PREVALENCE OF COHABITATION IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: A RISING MENACE

Okoye Peter

The issue of cohabitation in our campuses is one that cannot be underestimated. It has been practiced overtime that it has now become a norm, what we would call "normal thing" in our local youthful parlance.
There is hardly any tertiary institution around the globe where cohabitation does not exist given that the major population in these institutions are youths who are not under surveillance from parents or sponsors.

According to the Oxford Advanced Dictionary, Cohabitation is a man and a woman to to live together and have a sexual relationship without being married.
In order words, cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexual intimate relationship on long-term basis.

On a more broader conception, the term "cohabitation" can mean any number of people living together. To 'cohabitate' simply means to 'coexist'. According to Wikipedia, the origin of the term comes from the 16th century, from the Latin cohabitate, from co-'together' and habitare 'dwell'.

Cohabitation have increasingly become common in Western countries since the late 20th century, thereby bringing about changes in social views, especially as regards to marriage, gender roles and religion.

Cohabitation which was once considered an unwholesome practice in the African culture is becoming prevalent and widespread among students in Nigerian tertiary institutions birthing a vast array of repercussions. Findings have shown that at least 71% of students in Nigerian public tertiary institutions are cohabiting with the opposite sex in school.
This is what Nigerian students would dubb "single at home, married in school". It is students of the opposite sex that usually partake in cohabitation.
Emphasis is placed on "devoid of marriage" because sexual activity is actually meant for married couples. It is therefore morally wrong for two opposite sexes to engage in any sexual relationship devoid of marriage. One would as well wonder why this issue of cohabitation is prevalent in tertiary institutions.

The obvious factors that would lure students to cohabitation includes financial constraints, need for academic assistance, lack of proper parental upbringing, disregard for African norms and culture, youthful curiosity and peer pressure.
Students in tertiary institutions are within the youthful age bracket of 17 - 24 and in this age disposition, there is every tendency for most of them who are outside the purview of their parents or guidance to " explore life" and try so many things. Many would refuse to tag cohabitation as a menace, logically they are not to blame in that financial constraints is a major factor that promotes cohabitation. Female students because of paucity of finance in school are pressured to live with their male counterparts and perform duties as a wife to him including satisfying his sexual urges. The male in reciprocity is expected to meet the financial needs of the female student which includes paying her school and tuition fees, buying textbooks, provisions and other necessary things for her. The male party in this aspect might be a student or a single or married working class man living within or outside the school environs. As in the case of a non-student, female students, especially those living in the hostels are pressured to move out of the hostel and live with such man.
Still on the issue of financial constraints, students are also forced to cohabit in order to cut costs as it concerns their accomodation. This is usually the case between students living in the same lodge. These students are forced to live together and share the rent they are supposed to pay.

Out from the viewpoint of finance, another major factor that influences cohabitation is the tendency to "explore". Students in the tertiary institutions are outside the watchdog of their parents or sponsors and this they would be tempted and pressured most especially by peers to do what would be tagged "condemnable" in the eyes of their parents or guidances. In prime ages of life, peer pressure and the the tendency to explore new things is always very rampant and hence students who haven't engaged in any form of sexual relationship before see it as a golden opportunity to eat the forbidden fruit. A greater perception of students often disagree that cohabitation increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unwanted pregnancies and abortions but that will be too far from the truth and would be tagged a misconception following the adverse effects of cohabitation in the long run.

However, in antithesis, as it should be, there are adverse effects for students who engage in cohabitation. A major, nay disastrous effect of cohabitation is that it would lead to unwanted pregnancies. As a result of not being married but being in a sexual relationship, there is a huge possibility of unwanted pregnancies which would be termed illegal and at that, these female students would be forced to terminate the pregnancy. This may reoccur overtime in the relationship which is going to damage the reproductive system of the affected student in the long run. On the other hand, of the child from such relationship would be given birth to, it is no doubt going to bring societal shame and stigma to the both parties involved.
This has happened overtime in that such students would give birth to the child and drop out of school to take up a new role as a single mother in order to take care of the child thus ending her studentship career abruptly.

Another resounding effect is "abuse and infidelity". Since persons cohabiting are not within the legal confines of marriage, abuse (from the male) and infidelity (from the female) is perceived to be rampant. University of Chicago sociologist, Linda Walte found that "16 percent of cohabiting women reported that arguments with their partners became physical during the past year, while 5 percent of married women had similar experiences ". Walte's surveys demonstrated that 20% of cohabiting women reported having secondary sex partners compared to only 4% of married women. Also, according to an article by Judith Treas and Deirde Giesen, cohabiting couples are twice as likely to experience infidelity within the relationship than their married counterparts. These would not be nice experiences to students who should consider their studies a top priority. This effect could have a post traumatic experience on them when legally married to their partners.

Another great effect if not the former is that students involved in cohabitation decline in their academic life. They would not have the ample time again to concentrate on their studies as a result of the duties, especially the female students would be performing to her husband of fantasy, which would include: washing the clothes, cooking, cleaning the house and so much more. These are students that would also record the highest number of carryovers at the end of every semester which would not be a good way to go about an academic journey of importance to their families and sponsors. Students living outside the campus are the ones that mostly engages in cohabitation and affected the most.

Strategies for minimizing the incidence of cohabitation among university students includes keeping away from bad companies, reduction in school and accommodation fees, proper parental upbringing. Cohabitation is prevalent among undergraduate students in Nigeria. University administrations should therefore make accomodations available and affordable for all students.

This issue is one that would linger unabated if the necessary things would be done to stem it. Students should be enlightened on the dangers and adverse effects of cohabitation during freshmen orientation and matriculation ceremonies. In essence, unless legally married, there is no moral justification for students seeking for a bright future in the higher institution to cohabit in order not to face the myriad future repercussions.

It's called "symbiosis". Both parties gain somehow. The lady cooks and warms the bed in exchange for free accomodation, status, welfare & security. Win-win 😁✌️

PS: I don't support cohabitation before marriage though.

I schooled in the north, I can't relate that this is a menace. The general society frowns at premarital sexual relationships. Those who still go ahead to commit, might be unmarriageable especially if their atrocities are well known. On campus, females are not allowed entry into male hostels and vice versa. Many female undergraduates get married while they are in school. These measures help to minimise the numerous moral depravity we live with today.

Energist:
I schooled in the north, I can't relate that this is a menace. The general society frowns at premarital sexual relationships. Those who still go ahead to commit, might be unmarriageable especially if their atrocities are well known. On campus, females are not allowed entry into male hostels and vice versa. Many female undergraduates get married while they are in school. These measures help to minimise the numerous moral depravity we live with today.

What the society says and what an individual tells himself/herself might be different.

Whatever, shits comes with consequences.

I hate seeing that nonsense even if all the girls have been taken and the girl that cohabit with a guy while in school is the only one left i will rather become a Rev father than do anything with her

OP who send you make u blow dis whistle? Haba

Not just in schools again ooo...




In Abuja is now viewed as a marriage where two adults just live as a couple without the knowledge of either family... They go just dey born dey go.

There is nothing bad with cohabiting. It's love and practice makes perfect. Many endup as families

Nitong:
There is nothing bad with cohabiting. It's love and practice makes perfect. Many endup as families

Seems you're practicing it?

Instead of them to focus on their education.

Una no dey tire for this report? How many titles una don use post am? Almost every year, this features at least eight times. Since I started seeing it in 2015, una no gree make e die.

Energist:
I schooled in the north, I can't relate that this is a menace. The general society frowns at premarital sexual relationships. Those who still go ahead to commit, might be unmarriageable especially if their atrocities are well known. On campus, females are not allowed entry into male hostels and vice versa. Many female undergraduates get married while they are in school. These measures help to minimise the numerous moral depravity we live with today.

Where in the north and what year? I have been to university campuses in Nasarawa, Gombe, Taraba and Maiduguri, and I can confidently tell you that it is still a menace. It might less prevalent compared to the south tho.

NFBI:
I hate seeing that nonsense even if all the girls have been taken and the girl that cohabit with a guy while in school is the only one left i will rather become a Rev father than do anything with her

Lol.... You won't know.
But come to think of it, won't you prefer a girl that cohabited with one guy all through university compared to another girl that did not cohabit but had multiple relationships with numerous guys?

zyphr:


Where in the north and what year? I have been to university campuses in Nasarawa, Gombe, Taraba and Maiduguri, and I can confidently tell you that it is still a menace. It might less prevalent compared to the south tho.

ABU

zyphr:

Lol.... You won't know.
But come to think of it, won't you prefer a girl that cohabited with one guy all through university compared to another girl that did not cohabit but had multiple relationships with numerous guys?

In short i hate seeing girls fckin around too much