Video footage from Eni Njoku Hostel at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), aired on national television penultimate week, revealed severe deterioration in student living conditions. Overflowing toilets, maggot-infested laundry areas, darkened floors, and students cooking in the open with dried palm leaves were among the scenes documented. The decay, students said, has been worsened by a five-month strike by hostel cleaners who have not received salaries. Questions have been raised over the use of hostel fees paid by students. Overcrowding and filth are widespread, with health hazards mounting due to unsanitary conditions. The Vice Chancellor of UNN, Simon Ortuanya, has been urged to act, given the university's motto, "Restore the Dignity of Man." The problem extends beyond UNN. A student from a prominent South-West university described broken facilities, bedbug-infested mattresses, no water, and unstable electricity. At University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, a 100-day power outage in 2025 over a ₦400 million unpaid electricity bill disrupted clinical training. Nigeria has 310 universities—74 federal, 68 state, and 168 private—all facing outdated libraries, poor labs, and shortages of water and power. A 2009 ASUU-federal government pact promised ₦1.3 trillion for federal university revitalisation over five years, but it was not implemented, leading to repeated strikes. In 2025, a committee led by Yale Ahmed reportedly resolved the dispute, including a 40% salary increase for academic staff and a ₦30 billion infrastructure fund for 74 federal universities. TETFund is also set to disburse ₦2.5 billion to each in 2026. Critics argue this is insufficient. The 2026 federal budget included ₦135 billion for election litigation, a cost typically borne by candidates.
The same government that allocated ₦135 billion for election litigation is asking students to endure maggot-infested hostels and 100-day blackouts. If ₦30 billion is all that's available for 74 federal universities, then the budget priorities are not just skewed—they are insulting. Students in Eni Njoku Hostel paid fees meant for upkeep, yet live without water or functioning toilets. No amount of salary increases or pension reforms can mask the neglect of basic human dignity in these institutions.
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