Students at the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, staged a protest on Wednesday over the prolonged power outage and water shortage on campus, disrupting academic activities. Many students carried buckets as they moved around the campus chanting solidarity songs, demanding the immediate restoration of basic utilities.
Protest Disrupts Lectures
The protesters stormed lecture halls, insisting that academic activities be halted until their demands were met. The action forced the suspension of lectures and other academic engagements in parts of the institution, as students prevented ongoing classes and tests from being held.
Staff Strike Blamed for Outage
A senior member of staff in the Department of Public Communication of the university, who spoke with The Guardian, said the strike by non-academic staff was responsible for the power outage. The non-academic staff unions had been on strike over unresolved welfare issues.
SSANU, NASU to End Strike May 11
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has directed its branches to suspend the ongoing strike on May 11. The development follows a fresh agreement reached after a series of meetings between the unions and the Federal Government’s expanded renegotiation committee, led by former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed.
Key Details of the Agreement
According to the unions, part of the discussions focused on a controversial 30 per cent salary increase under the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, which had earlier been proposed but later withdrawn by the government. In a circular issued on Wednesday, signed by NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi and SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim, the committee directed branches across the country to suspend the strike on May 11, 2026. The unions said the Federal Government had pledged to conclude all outstanding renegotiations within two weeks of the suspension.
The protest at UI highlights the growing frustration among students over the impact of the staff strike on campus life. With the strike now set to end, students hope for a swift restoration of normalcy, including power and water supply.
