A group of medical students from the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, disrupted a meeting between the Federal Government and the management of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday, to protest the ongoing power outage that has lasted for over 100 days at the hospital.
The meeting, convened by Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, was intended to address the power supply issues at UCH. Led by former UI Students’ Union President, Samson Samuel, the students expressed their outrage over the prolonged blackout, which they said has severely hindered their academic and clinical work.
The students are demanding that the minister set a clear timeline for the implementation of the promised 50 percent electricity tariff discount for tertiary hospitals and that power be restored to UCH immediately.
“We are here to voice our frustration over the more than 100 days of total darkness at UCH. As medical students, we rely on electricity to operate vital equipment and facilities, but this power outage has made it almost impossible for us to conduct our studies and clinical activities effectively,” said Tola, one of the protesters.
They also highlighted the detrimental impact of the blackout on the hospital’s operations, including the cancellation of surgeries and other essential medical procedures due to the lack of power.
“The power outage is affecting not only our academic work but also critical hospital services. Surgeries and other medical procedures have been canceled, putting patients’ lives at risk,” said another student, Tobi.
The students made it clear that they would not leave the meeting venue until they were able to speak directly with the Minister of Power. Attempts to disperse the protesters were unsuccessful.
Former Students’ Union President Samson Samuel told PUNCH Healthwise that the students were seeking a direct explanation from the minister about the challenges facing the implementation of the electricity tariff discount. He added that the students were determined to ensure the hospital’s power supply issues were addressed.
This protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations in recent weeks in response to the ongoing blackout at UCH, which began over 100 days ago. The hospital’s power cut was caused by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnecting UCH from the national grid over an outstanding debt of over N200 million.
UCH, one of Nigeria’s largest and most renowned teaching hospitals, has been relying on generators and other alternative power sources to provide medical care, but these have proven inadequate, leading to the cancellation of surgeries and critical procedures. The ongoing power crisis has also hurt the hospital’s revenue, with many patients seeking care elsewhere.
The UI medical students’ protest underscores the widespread frustration and urgency surrounding the power outage, reflecting the growing concern among both the university community and the hospital’s staff and patients.
