The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has assured that electricity supply to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, will be restored within 24 to 48 hours.
This commitment follows a closed-door meeting on Monday between the Minister, the Management of UCH, and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The hospital has been disconnected from the national grid since October 2024, leaving medical staff and students in darkness for over 101 days.
Mr Adelabu gave the assurance at a press conference held after the meeting, where he addressed students of the University of Ibadan, who staged a peaceful protest demanding urgent restoration of power to UCH.
The hospital has suffered persistent power outages due to unpaid electricity debt owed to the IBEDC.
It would be recalled that in November 2024 that UCH management confirmed that IBEDC intentionally disconnected the power supply over an outstanding debt of approximately N400 million, part of a staggering N3.1 billion accumulated bill since 2019.
Protesting students demand
Students of UI staged another protest carrying placards with messages such as “+100 Days of Darkness: Save UCH” and “Medical School Is Hard Enough—Give Us Light”, demanding urgent action from the government.
The Students’ Union President, Aweda Bolaji, said the students are demanding immediate restoration of power to UCH.
Mr Bolaji also called for the implementation of the 50 per cent tariff reduction promised last year, as well as comprehensive reforms in electricity supply to the hospital.
Honourable Minister, you are standing before the presence of 36,000 UI students. We are here to register our displeasure and ask why you have decided to do this to the heritage of Ibadan. The greatest medical institution in Nigeria has experienced a blackout for over 101 days,” he said.
The students also requested an urgent reformation of the health sector, among others.
Following a closed-door meeting between the Minister, the UCH Management, and IBEDC, Mr Adelabu addressed the students, assuring them that power would be restored within 24-48 hours.
He explained that the time frame was necessary to ensure proper reconnection and urged students to remain patient while a long-term solution was put in place.
The Chief Medical Director of UCH, Jesse Otegbayo, commended the students for their peaceful protest, acknowledging that the hospital management had limited control over the situation.
Mr Otegbayo appreciated the Minister’s intervention, stating that concrete resolutions had been reached to resolve the crisis.
The Managing Director of IBEDC, Francis Agoha, also assured students that an agreement had been reached to restore power and prevent future occurrences.
Despite the promises, students remained sceptical and demanded further clarification on the timeline and specifics of the power restoration plan.
Some expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of immediate implementation and threatened to protest again on Thursday if power was not restored as promised.
Mr Adelabu urged the students to embrace dialogue and allow the proposed resolutions to take effect.
He also facilitated a truce between IBEDC and UCH to prevent future disconnections due to unresolved financial disputes.
Mr Adelabu emphasised that the government was committed to addressing power supply issues in UCH and similar institutions like the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
He highlighted key resolutions, including immediate reconnection to the national grid, proper power distribution analysis and the introduction of a solar-powered mini-grid.
“That we have come here today means we are committed to finding a lasting solution. Do you think I will be happy when the premier hospital in Ibadan is in darkness?” Mr Adelabu said.
