In response to ongoing student protests, the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Senate has decided to suspend academic activities indefinitely, News About Nigeria reports.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire, made the announcement on Thursday.
However, the suspension does not affect non-academic staff.
The university has also mandated that students vacate their hostels immediately.
“Following the refusal of students of the University of Benin to shift grounds on their demands for twenty-four-hour electricity supply and more, which the University’s Senate considers unrealistic, the University has shut down academic activities indefinitely,” Ehanire stated.
Students at UNIBEN took to the streets on Wednesday, blocking the busy Benin-Ore Highway in protest of weeks-long power outages on their campus.
The power cuts have significantly hindered their preparation for the upcoming first-semester examinations, scheduled to take place in two weeks.
The protesters are demanding a continuous electricity supply, a request the university management has deemed unfeasible.
“Students are to vacate the hostels immediately while all relevant units of the University are to take note and comply,” the statement continued.
“However, non-teaching staff and staff on essential duties are not affected by the shutdown.”
The prolonged power outage has been a major issue for the students, who argue that the lack of electricity severely impacts their ability to study and perform well academically.
The BEDC PLC recently disconnected the institution as a result of the bill of over N250 million slammed on the institution by the electricity company.
The institution was formerly paying N80 million, and it has not been able to afford the new bill, which caused a blackout in the school and brought hardship to the students.
