Students of the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday over an extended power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), which has persisted for more than 80 days.
The protesters marched from the university campus into the streets of Ibadan, carrying placards to raise awareness about the disruption caused by the blackout.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had earlier disclosed in November 2024 that UCH was disconnected due to unpaid electricity bills. The outage has significantly impacted academic activities and student welfare at the teaching hospital, where UI medical students are trained.
UI Student Union President, Bolaji Aweda, led the protest, criticizing what he described as a “power play” between UCH and IBEDC. He called for the immediate implementation of the 50 percent electricity tariff discount announced for tertiary institutions in 2024.
The students concluded their protest at the Oyo State Secretariat, where they presented their grievances to Sunday Odukoya, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security.
Speaking on behalf of the student leaders, Aweda warned of further actions if their demands were not addressed promptly.
The ongoing power crisis highlights a broader challenge faced by public tertiary institutions in Nigeria, where inadequate electricity supply and rising tariffs have severely disrupted teaching, research, and campus life.
Institutions often rely on costly generators to sustain operations during outages, leading to blackouts in teaching hospitals, labs, and other critical facilities, which in turn disrupt academic schedules and research activities.
The situation underscores the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions in Nigeria’s public universities.
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