Students Protest as Universities, Hospitals Struggle with Soaring Electricity Costs
For over three months, Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital, the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, has been grappling with prolonged power outages, disrupting medical training, research, and healthcare services. The situation, fueled by unpaid electricity bills and skyrocketing power tariffs, has forced students and healthcare workers to take to the streets in protest.
The crisis at UCH is not isolated. Other major institutions, including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, are also facing similar power supply challenges. The root cause lies in the sharp increase in electricity tariffs, which saw the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) raise rates for ‘Band A’ consumers—including universities and hospitals—by over 200 percent in April 2024. With insufficient government funding to offset these costs, many institutions have fallen into massive debt, prompting electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to cut off supply.
Medical Training Under Threat
Teaching hospitals serve a dual role: they provide critical healthcare services while training future medical professionals. However, prolonged blackouts have disrupted academic and clinical activities, jeopardizing the future of medical education in the country.
A professor at the University of Ibadan, Tade Oludayo, underscored the impact of the crisis, stating, “Stable electricity is the backbone of quality medical education and healthcare delivery. Without it, research, training, and patient care are severely compromised.”
With no power, students lack access to vital learning tools such as simulation labs, diagnostic equipment, and digital resources. Clinical procedures requiring powered medical devices—such as imaging tests and laboratory diagnostics—have been halted, significantly affecting both learning and patient care.
Healthcare Services at Risk
As referral centers for complex medical cases, Nigeria’s teaching hospitals play a crucial role in the country’s healthcare system. However, power disruptions have led to the cancellation of surgeries, delayed emergency responses, and compromised patient care.
Medical personnel at UCH report difficulties in running life-saving equipment such as ventilators, incubators, and dialysis machines. “How do you perform surgeries or operate intensive care units without electricity?” lamented a doctor who spoke anonymously.
With the cost of diesel at an all-time high—ranging from N1,200 to N1,400 per liter—running alternative power sources is proving unsustainable. Hospitals are now diverting limited funds meant for medical supplies and infrastructure to fuel generators, worsening the strain on an already fragile healthcare system.
The ‘Japa’ Effect: Brain Drain Intensifies
Nigeria is already battling a severe exodus of medical professionals, with thousands leaving for better opportunities abroad in what has been dubbed the ‘japa’ wave. The current crisis is exacerbating the situation, as young doctors trained under substandard conditions seek more stable environments overseas.
“If our students and resident doctors train under these conditions, we are setting up the future of Nigeria’s healthcare for failure,” warned Oludayo.
Government’s Response: Promises and Protests
Amid growing protests and public outcry, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu visited UCH, pledging to integrate the facility into the Energising Education Programme (EEP). The initiative aims to provide sustainable power solutions to federal universities and teaching hospitals, including a proposed 50MW solar mini-grid.
While this intervention offers a glimmer of hope, experts argue that institutions must develop independent power solutions to reduce reliance on the national grid. Some analysts recommend investing in off-grid power projects, such as solar farms and independent power plants, to ensure stable electricity for critical services.
Students Resume Protests Over Partial Power Restoration
Despite government assurances, tensions escalated when electricity was restored to the UCH medical school, excluding student residences such as Alexander Brown Hall and Ayodele Falase Postgraduate Hall. Enraged by what they termed an injustice, students resumed protests, demanding full reconnection.
“The halls that championed the struggle have been left in darkness. We will not accept this selective power restoration,” said Aweda Bolaji, President of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union.
Videos circulating on social media show students criticizing both the government and university management over the situation. “The students who fought for the light are now the ones left in darkness. This is unacceptable,” one protester stated on X (formerly Twitter).
A Sector on the Brink
The ongoing power crisis in Nigeria’s healthcare and education sectors signals a broader systemic failure. Without urgent and lasting interventions, the quality of medical education and healthcare delivery will continue to deteriorate, further accelerating the country’s brain drain. The government, academic institutions, and power providers must work together to ensure stable electricity supply—before the nation loses its future doctors before they even begin their careers.
