A protest erupted at the University of Ibadan (UI) in the early hours of Wednesday, May 6, 2026, as students took to the streets over worsening campus conditions linked to the ongoing strike by non-academic staff unions. 

Media gathered that while the protest began as a small gathering of students from Independence Hall and Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall of Residence, it quickly snowballed into a wider demonstration, spreading across lecture theatres in the Faculty of Science.

The unrest is tied to the ongoing industrial action by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which has severely affected electricity, water supply, and other essential services on campus.

Witnesses told reporters that students mobilised across multiple lecture venues in the Faculties of Science, Computing, and Social Sciences, disrupting academic activities as the protest gained momentum.

The Students’ Union President of the university, Temidayo Adeboye, while speaking during the protest, described the action not as a protest but a reflection of growing frustration among students.

“This is not a protest; it is a demonstration of our frustration,” Adeboye said, adding that students could no longer continue their academic activities in what he described as an unconducive learning environment.

“No light, no water, and with the NASU and SSANU strike, we know they are supposed to close down the lecture halls,” he said.

Adeboye called on the university management to shut down the institution and allow students to return home.

“The end goal is that they (the management) know that we can no longer continue our academics in this environment,” he added.

The Students’ Union had earlier declared support for the strike action initiated by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU, which commenced on May 1, 2026.

The union had, in a statement, described the struggle by the non-academic staff as one affecting the entire university community.

“The UISU stands in firm solidarity with SSANU and NASU. The Union supports their struggle for fair treatment and institutional justice, maintaining the principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all,’” the Students’ Union said.

However, the union also expressed concern over the toll of the strike on students, noting that campus life has been significantly disrupted. 

It cited irregular electricity and water supply, shutdown of critical services such as the University Health Centre, popularly known as Jaja Clinic, and increasing hardship in daily living conditions.

Despite backing the industrial action, the Students’ Union emphasised that students should not be made to suffer the consequences of the dispute.

It called on the Nigerian government and other relevant stakeholders to urgently engage the striking unions in sincere and constructive dialogue to resolve the impasse and restore normalcy to the institution.

Students, particularly those residing in Independence and Nnamdi Azikiwe Halls, had earlier lamented the deteriorating situation, especially persistent power outages blamed on the absence of maintenance personnel due to the strike.