The National Association of University Students has called on the Federal Ministry of Power to urgently address persistent electricity shortages in university campuses and student-populated communities, warning that the situation is undermining academic activities, students’ businesses and personal security.
The association, which represents more than 21.2 million undergraduate and postgraduate students in Nigeria and the diaspora, said unreliable electricity was making it increasingly difficult for students to study, conduct research, attend virtual lectures and meet academic deadlines.
The National President of NAUS, Comrade Dr Meshach Anthony Nwankwo, made the appeal in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
Nwankwo urged the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, to prioritise sustainable electricity supply to university communities, stressing that access to reliable power was essential to improving the quality of higher education.
He acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to expand access to education and strengthen student support systems.
He also commended the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, for translating the President’s educational agenda into policies and programmes.
The NAUS president, however, insisted that educational reforms would have limited impact without a reliable electricity supply to support teaching, learning and research.
According to him, electricity is no longer a luxury for university students but a necessity for academic survival.
“For the average Nigerian university student, electricity goes beyond having light in a room. It determines whether they can charge their phones and laptops, access lecture materials, conduct research, complete assignments, attend virtual classes and prepare adequately for examinations,” he said.
He expressed concern that students were sometimes forced to leave their residences in search of places to charge their electronic devices, exposing them to avoidable security risks.
He particularly raised concerns about the vulnerability of female students who might be compelled to seek charging facilities in unfamiliar or unsecured environments.
“These are not experiences that should form part of the burden of acquiring a university education,” he said.
Nwankwo noted that the electricity crisis also affected lecturers and other academic personnel living within university communities, making it difficult for them to prepare lectures, conduct research and discharge their professional responsibilities.
He said the consequences of poor electricity supply extended beyond students’ academic performance, weakening the entire university ecosystem.
The association therefore appealed to the Ministry of Power to consider targeted interventions that would guarantee sustainable electricity supply across university campuses and surrounding communities.
Beyond making public appeals, NAUS said it was prepared to collaborate with the ministry by providing first-hand information on affected university communities.
Nwankwo said the association had structures and representatives across university campuses and was willing to provide location-specific reports to help identify areas experiencing persistent power shortages.
“We are set to engage the Honourable Minister on a practical framework through which we can identify the affected communities, highlight possible operational bottlenecks and provide credible information that will support targeted interventions,” he said.
He added that students living in the affected communities could provide valuable information about electricity challenges that might not be adequately captured in official reports.
The NAUS president said the association was ready to complement the ministry’s efforts with its grassroots presence and access to university communities.
He, however, maintained that students’ welfare and academic interests must not be compromised.
“President Tinubu’s educational reforms deserve a power sector that can sustain their impact. The responsibility for transforming education cannot rest on the Ministry of Education alone; every relevant sector must contribute to creating an enabling environment for our students,” he said.
Nwankwo added that the association would continue to amplify students’ concerns and advocate an academic environment where the absence of basic amenities would not frustrate their ambitions.
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