Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) have taken to the major streets and administrative facilities on campus to protest the management’s attempt to ration power supply and limit it to 10 hours daily, FIJ can report.

FIJ learned that the university introduced the new arrangement through a memo issued on July 16. According to the memo, the arrangement was to take effect on Tuesday, with electricity being made available from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm to 2:00 am daily.

FIJ also learned that the protest started yesterday in the Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall at about 10:00 pm, because, despite the memo, the students did not have power. The protest soon spread to other halls of residence until students adjourned it until 5:30 am this morning.

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A student participating in the protest estimated that more than 700 students had joined at press time.

“The protest started at Zik yesterday, when, despite the memo, students did not have light. It spread from Zik to Indy, and then others started joining. The students agreed to meet by 5:30 this morning, and we have been protesting since then,” a student told FIJ.

“Conservatively, we should be about 700 students already. Some say we are about 1,000. We are currently at the faculty of pharmacy now. We’ve left the gate, and some even went to the vice chancellor’s lodge.”

FIJ also learned that the students had initially restricted movement inside the campus and blocked off the main gates.

“They eventually had to open the gates. I don’t know the consideration they made at the time. There were too many people, but we eventually decided to open the gates partly,” another student told FIJ over the phone.

According to a statement issued by the UI Student Union, the students are using the protest to make other demands from the management, including a total reversal of the school fee hike and an end to the victimisation of Ayodele Aduwo, who protested the fee hike initially.

UI is not the only institution where students have suffered and protested over power-related issues. In April, FIJ reported how the Federal University of Technology, Akure, could not provide students with enough power due to a power tariff hike. Earlier this month, FIJ also reported how students at the University of Ibadan took to the streets to protest a prolonged power outage.

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As of press time, the protest at the University of Ibadan is sweeping through the campus and has reached the faculty of pharmacy. The protest has also reached the faculty of arts and the vice chancellor’s lodge, among other major facilities.

FIJ called Professor Keye Abiona, the school’s dean of students, for comments but he did not pick up his phone.