Power Outage Stifling Student Lives at Sokoto Teaching Hospital Hostels

For Nasiru Abubakar, a student from the Department of Radiography at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, water scarcity has become a harsh reality. The university dormitories had electricity glitches, turning students’ daily routines upside down. The persisting power outage drains Nasiru’s energy and resources. 

“Simple tasks like charging my phone and accessing clean water have become monumental challenges. I feel anxious, irritable, and helpless,” Nasiru lamented.

Established in 1972, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) serves as a hub for medical students of the institution, providing them with practical training and exposure to various medical cases. It also acts as a referral centre for patients in Sokoto and surrounding states. The hospital, accredited by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), offers postgraduate training in various specialities and includes a wide range of medical services, including primary, secondary, and tertiary care across departments.

The serene environment houses hostels, including four blocks of male hostels, one female hostel, and the newly built hostel, popularly called ‘the new boy’s hostel’.

Once a haven of reliability, the hospital’s confinement has betrayed its most enticing promise: a steady power supply. For students residing within these walls, the sudden loss of this basic necessity has transformed a comfortable routine into a frustrating struggle, forcing them to confront harsh realities — the unforgiving glare of flashlights and the suffocating darkness of powerless nights.

“We were shocked to see this happen at the dawn of a new semester,” one student told Campus Reporters, his gestures conveying disbelief as he struggled to comprehend the timing of the outage. “The last power failure occurred on June 16, 2024, during the Islamic Sallah celebration, but it was resolved within 48 hours. This time, it’s different,” he noted, his brow furrowed in concern. 

Muhammad Aliyu, a Human Medicine student, complained about the detrimental effects of the power outage on the learning process. “We are faced with the challenge of comprehending the intricacies of our lecturers’ teaching, the absence of electricity to power slide presentations—a cutting-edge pedagogical tool that facilitates visual learning through projector displays—has significantly hindered our ability to grasp complex concepts,” Aliyu said.

Wearied by the burdensome task of carrying kegs of water upstairs in the newly built hostel, Stephen Philip from the Department of Nursing Science appeals to the management for swift intervention. The harsh realities of the hostel’s inadequacies have taken a toll on his academic pursuits.

“It’s been a hell ride, the incessant melodies of the mosquitoes make it impossible for me to attend night classes, as they completely abate my concentration. Furthermore, I almost lost my phone because I couldn’t find the card I was given after paying to have it charged,” he cried.

When contacted about the ongoing electricity glitch, Abdullahi Sanusi, the Chairman of the Student Union Caretaker Committee (SU-CTC), said he had complained to the management.

“I started by reporting the issue to the hostel maintenance team, but after discovering that the problem wasn’t with them, I escalated it to the management.”

“I formally complained to the management and requested their prompt intervention to address the water and light issues on our campuses. They’re working on it, and I’m assured that it will be resolved soon,” he said.