Temu: The Growing Epidemic On Campus

Temu is an online retail platform founded by Colin Huang and managed by Chinese operators. In the last quarter of 2024, Temu became increasingly popular among students, largely due to its aggressive advertisements on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Duolingo. These ads popped up nonstop, generating curiosity and drawing users in.

Among University of Ibadan students, Temu gained traction due to its "refer and earn” program. It allows users to refer around 17-20 new users and about 14 old users, though this varies for different people. 

Upon completing the tasks, users get to pick four or five free items of their choice. These gifts come with no shipping fees, and students have been all over it. To get people to download the Temu app, students often persuade their peers, with some even going to the extent of paying between #500–#1,000 to get their referral task completed.

To understand the growing trend, we interviewed Omoadesope, a final-year student and popular influencer at the University of Ibadan. He shared his experience with Temu, explaining how he became involved in the referral process and the gifts he earned.

Omoadesope explained that he first heard about Temu in January but didn’t pay much attention due to mixed reviews. However, in February, a coursemate encouraged him to try it out, claiming the system was legitimate. 

"At first, I was skeptical about it, but after I saw that it worked for others, I decided to give it a try," he said.

Omoadesope started his first round of referrals with little expectation but soon realized the potential. He described the referral system as requiring users to refer about 16 to 20 new users and four to five existing ones. He added, "For each of the rounds, you might be given four or five free gifts, depending on the one you did." His efforts resulted in him completing 12 rounds, earning a total of 59 gifts, including gadgets, clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Despite the hard work involved in completing the referrals, Omoadesope seemed pleased with his rewards: "I got all my gifts, and they are actually good. Gadgets, sneakers, accessories, clothes... I got a lot of things," he shared.

However, he also noted that the process could be exhausting and required careful attention to detail. "The referral link expires in 24 hours. You have to hustle to meet the target before the time runs out," Omoadesope said. He also advised caution when selecting products, as some descriptions could be misleading. "Some people don’t read the product descriptions carefully," he explained. "For instance, if Temu is selling a shoelace, the picture may show a complete shoe. But if you don’t read the description, you might end up getting just the shoelace."

While some students, like Omoadesope, have seen success, many others face challenges with the referral process. A student from the Faculty of Arts shared, "At first, it seemed easy, but after exhausting my close friends, getting referrals became frustrating. I even had to beg strangers online."

Similarly, another student from the Faculty of Science shared how draining the process was: "I spent a whole day trying to complete my referrals. I finally did it, but I would not do it again. It was draining."

Despite these difficulties, some students have turned the referral process into a money-making opportunity, helping others complete their referrals for a fee. "There are some who help people with the process for a fee," one student said. "It's a hustle, but it works for them."

While some students are thrilled with the gifts they receive from Temu, others are starting to question whether the effort is worth it. Many abandon the platform after their first experience, while others continue to push for bigger and better rewards. With Temu still trending on campus, even more students will join the frenzy in the upcoming academic session.

Adeniyi Oluwadamilola Joy