Students of the College of Medicine at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday over the persistent blackout at the hospital, which has lasted over 82 days.
The protest, which began at 7:00 a.m., was supported by the Students Union (SU) of the University of Ibadan (UI). Bolaji Aweda, the SU President, said the demonstration was necessary after a seven-day ultimatum given to the management of UI and UCH expired without resolution.
Aweda alleged that power struggles among stakeholders had prolonged the crisis, which has severely affected students’ living conditions and academics. “Our demand is the immediate restoration of power to UCH and other hospitals facing similar situations,” he stated.
The protesters also called for the implementation of the 50% electricity tariff discount announced by the Ministry of Power in August 2024 and a broader reform of Nigeria’s health sector. Aweda expressed concerns about the state of healthcare institutions, saying, “If UCH, the foremost healthcare hospital in Nigeria, is this bad, one can imagine what other health institutions look like.”
Former SU President Tobiloba Samuel highlighted the union’s previous attempts to engage UCH and UI management, which proved unsuccessful. He attributed the crisis to new power sector policies that have made electricity unaffordable for institutions. Samuel revealed that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) demanded payment of half of the N3.78 million debt owed by UCH before restoring power.
“We are calling on the Ministry of Education, the Federal Government, and other stakeholders to intervene, not just to save UCH but also other educational and health institutions in similar situations,” Samuel added.
Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, no representatives from UCH management addressed the students. Security personnel were on-site to prevent any breakdown of order.
When contacted, Mr. Oladayo Olabampe, Chairman of the UCH Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), said the union was not involved in the protest. “The organizers have no identity. I have nothing against it, but no union in UCH is involved to the best of my knowledge,” Olabampe said.
The protesting students, dressed in black tops, eventually marched toward the University of Ibadan campus to continue their demonstration.
