A powerful rainstorm that lasted for 30 minutes on Wednesday, March 12, wreaked havoc at the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) in Tamale, severely damaging the girls’ dormitory and leaving over 1,000 students displaced.

The storm, which was accompanied by strong winds and minimal rainfall, ripped off parts of the dormitory roof, leaving students exposed to the elements. Many lost their personal belongings to the rain, worsening the already dire situation. With the dormitories already struggling with overcrowding, the destruction has forced students to relocate to unaffected rooms, further worsening congestion. Channel One TV understand that students were left with no choice but to sleep in the dormitory corridors and even in open spaces on the compound. Several affected students, speaking to Channel One TV, described the terrifying moment the storm struck, saying they had little time to salvage their belongings.

“The rain started around 4:40 pm, and it was more of windstorm and less rain, so we heard our roof blew off and some parts of the ceiling collapsed and our dormitories got flooded,” Mohammed Adisah Mantenso, Assistant Girls’ Prefect, shared in an interview. Another student, Alhassan Rabiatu Badaria, recounts the incident, disclosing that their books, uniforms and belongings were destroyed by the rain, with some of them having to go to class wearing improper clothing. “Our books are all wet and our uniforms blown away, so today some of us are not able to copy notes in class”

The headmaster of NOBISCO, Mr. Alhassan Issah Dokurugu, revealed that the school is managing the situation temporarily while waiting for a lasting solution. “We have moved the boys from one of the dormitories to join their males at the other side, while we move the affected girls to their dormitory temporarily,” he said. He further likened the current congestion at the school to an “ant-hill,” stating that every available space in the dormitories and classrooms is occupied due to the high student population and inadequate infrastructure.

He is urgently appealing to government agencies, philanthropists, and organizations to intervene and help restore the damaged dormitory.

Beyond the dormitories, the school is also grappling with congestion problems in the classrooms. Channel One TV visited one of the packed classrooms and spoke to students about their struggles in coping with the situation. Abdallah Ibtisan Namzooya, who was seen using a single-occupant table with another student, noted the difficulties in dealing with the situation.

“She writes with her right hand, and I write with my left, and because the table is small, we are always at each other’s throats,” she tells channel one news.

With the increasing student population at NOBISCO and limited infrastructure, school authorities are calling on the government, the Ministry of Education, NGOs, and well-meaning individuals to come to their aid.