The University College Hospital (UCH), the teaching facility for medical trainees of the University of Ibadan (UI), has endured an extended power outage spanning 82 days, with the root cause traced to unpaid debts owed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). Frustrated by the situation, UI students mobilized in a peaceful demonstration to voice their grievances over the debilitating lack of electricity.
The blackout, reportedly stretching back over a year, has disrupted critical academic operations at UCH. Medical students, whose training relies on a functioning hospital environment, are among the worst hit. Speaking to the press, Comrade Bolaji Aweda, President of the UI Student Union Government (SUG), condemned the protracted outage, describing it as a detrimental impediment to the students’ academic pursuits.
“This power failure has persisted for 82 agonizing days, rendering our academic environment unbearable. Students can neither study effectively nor engage in productive learning due to this blackout,” Aweda lamented.
He further characterized the impasse as a “power tussle” between UCH and IBEDC, exacerbating the plight of students and staff alike.
Aweda enumerated the demands of the protesting students, which include the immediate restoration of electricity to UCH and other healthcare institutions nationwide grappling with similar challenges. Additionally, he called for the implementation of the Federal Ministry of Power’s earlier-announced 50% electricity tariff reduction and urged a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.
Another student leader, Sunday Tobilola, emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue with stakeholders. “This peaceful protest is the beginning of our quest for resolution. Should the authorities fail to address these issues promptly, we are prepared to escalate our actions,” Tobilola stated.
The protestors marched from UCH to the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital, where they were received by Mr. Sunday Odukoya, the Executive Assistant on Security to Governor Seyi Makinde. Odukoya reassured the demonstrators that the state government would engage the Federal Government to expedite a solution to the crisis.
The prolonged blackout at UCH highlights systemic challenges within Nigeria’s healthcare and power sectors. Students and stakeholders now await tangible actions to resolve this pressing issue and restore normalcy to their academic and professional lives.
