The University of Ibadan in Oyo State is protesting power rationing and school fee hikes, following a new policy restricting the electricity supply on campus to just 10 hours daily. This policy, which went into effect on Tuesday, was announced in a memo issued by the Department of Works and Maintenance, signed by Engineer O.A. Adetolu, Director of Works.
The memo outlined the schedule for power supply as six hours during the day (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and four hours at night (10 p.m. to 2 a.m.). Campus sources reported that the protests began on Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, with students gathering around the Zik-Indy axis and extending to the Awo area. ,
By dawn, the demonstrators had blocked the university gate, held placards, and chanted songs, demanding the reversal of the electricity rationing policy. The student unrest was fueled by the university’s recent 480% fee hike in April.
The hike raised fees for newly admitted students to N412,000, a sharp increase from the previous average of N69,600. The new fee structure includes a base fee of N372,000 and an additional N40,000 for utility costs.
The combination of skyrocketing fees and restricted electricity supply has caused significant hardship for students. Protesters presented a list of demands to the university management, which included the withdrawal of the power rationing memo and a reversal of the fee hike.
They also called for refunding fees already paid under the new rates and alleged victimization of three students—Aduwo Ayodele, Olamide Gbadegesin, and Nice Linus—who faced disciplinary action for protesting the fee increase in May.
Aweda Bolaji Damilola, president of the UI Student Union, voiced the students’ frustrations and reiterated their demands for refunds and policy reversals. The university’s spokesperson, Adejoke Akinpelu, declined to comment, stating that meetings with the students were ongoing.
This protest at the University of Ibadan follows closely on the heels of a similar student uprising at the University of Benin in Edo State, where the institution shut down due to demonstrations over a prolonged power outage. The growing unrest across Nigerian universities highlights the escalating tensions and hardships students face due to increased fees and inadequate electricity supply.