JOS — Students of the University of Jos have staged a protest over a prolonged power outage in the institution’s student hostels. The students took to the campus on Tuesday, demanding urgent action from university management to restore electricity to their accommodation facilities.
The protest drew hundreds of students who said they have endured weeks without reliable electricity in their hostels. Students said the situation is affecting their ability to study at night, power their devices, and maintain basic living standards in an academic environment.
Student Union Government President Musa Garbaya addressed fellow students at the protest. He said university management has been informed multiple times about the power situation but has not provided a satisfactory solution. He said students are forced to use candles and battery-powered alternatives that are expensive and inadequate.
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“We pay school fees. We pay accommodation fees. The least we deserve is working electricity in our hostels. This situation is unacceptable and we demand that management fix it immediately,” Garbaya said at the protest rally.
A National University Crisis
The UNIJOS power protest reflects a national challenge facing Nigerian public universities. Unreliable electricity, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient funding have created learning environments that fall far short of acceptable standards in many federal and state institutions.
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Nigeria’s university system has been under significant strain in recent years. Multiple strikes by academic and non-academic staff over salaries, welfare, and funding have disrupted academic calendars. Infrastructure maintenance has often been deprioritised when budgets are squeezed.
Furthermore, the government’s priority to keep university fees low has not been matched by commensurate budgetary increases to universities. The funding gap forces institutions to defer maintenance, including electricity infrastructure, creating a deteriorating physical environment for students and staff.
Management Response
UNIJOS management has not issued a formal public statement in response to the student protest as of Wednesday morning. University officials said internally that they are aware of the power situation and are working with the electricity distribution company to restore supply.
However, students said they have heard similar promises before. Several said the power outages have been ongoing intermittently for months, with temporary restorations followed by prolonged blackouts. They said they will continue their protests until management provides a sustainable and permanent solution.
The National Universities Commission said it is monitoring the situation. The commission has the mandate to ensure that Nigerian universities maintain minimum standards across all facilities, including student accommodation. It said it will engage UNIJOS management formally if the situation is not resolved promptly.
