No Water. No Light. No Class: UI Students Ground Academic Activities in Protest

By Faith Ajewole

Academic activities at the University of Ibadan were disrupted on Wednesday as students staged a mass protest over the prolonged lack of electricity and water on campus, a situation linked to the ongoing strike by non-teaching staff unions. With essential service providers absent, key facilities have broken down, leaving students without basic amenities needed for daily living and academic work.

The protest, which began as scattered frustration, quickly gained momentum as students moved across faculties, shutting down lectures and calling others out of classrooms. Chanting “No water, no class; no light, no class.”

Attempts by university authorities and Students’ Union leaders to address the protesters were largely unsuccessful, with many students insisting that engagement had come too late. Tensions briefly flared during the procession but were contained, and the protest continued toward key administrative areas.

In a bid to restore calm, the Students’ Union President announced a suspension of classes and proposed an emergency Congress. However, several protesters rejected the delay, with some initiating plans to hold a Congress immediately.

As the demonstration progressed to the main gate, students erected barricades, grounding traffic and amplifying their demands. Although there were reports of temporary electricity restoration in some areas, supply remained inconsistent, further fueling dissatisfaction. Security presence also increased, with police vehicles sighted outside the campus.

At the heart of the crisis is the non-teaching staff strike, which has crippled essential services within the university. Students, now bearing the brunt of the disruption, say the conditions are untenable. As of press time, protests continue, with a clear message from demonstrators: without water and electricity, academic activities cannot resume.