The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Kayode O. Adebowale has revealed that the institution spends over one billion Naira on electricity annually.
Adebowale revealed this on Thursday, April 27, 2023, during a courtesy visit to his office by the new Oyo Regional Manager of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Oluwasogo Olufayo.
Urging IBEDC to review its current rates downward for the nation’s Premier University, Adebowale noted that it was becoming a challenge for the University to settle its electricity bills.
Responding, Olufayo, said the review of the tariffs downward was beyond his office.
He explained that there are three major players in the value chain – generation – transmission – distribution companies, adding that the sector is highly regulated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
In another development, the Hall Master of Mellanby Hall of Residence, Professor Idowu Farai has revealed that N4 million donated by the family of Late Professor Emeritus O.O. Akinkugbe was expended on the refurbishment of the students’ common room and the purchase of 60 single beds and 60 bunk beds for the use of the students.
Farai commended the Akinkugbe family for donating in honour of their late father who was resident in the Hall about 70 years ago.
Farai said that since he assumed duties as the Hall Master four years ago, he had determined to ensure better living conditions for the students.
The 69th Hall Chair, Tunji Fashola, described Mellanby Hall as the premier Hall of Residence in the premier university, adding that many of the alumni of the Hall had been great examples to the current set of students.
He, therefore, presented a plaque to the Akinkugbe family in appreciation of the donation.
The representative of the Akinkugbe family, Olumide Akinkugbe, said the family was elated that the refurbished common room had been named after their late father.
He charged the students to maintain the facilities provided because his father was a meticulous person and would not wish to be associated with misuse of the facilities.
In his remarks, Adebowale described Akinkugbe as a colossus who took the name of the University of Ibadan to the four corners of the world with the impact he made on humanity.
The Vice-Chancellor, while appreciating the donation, disclosed that Prof Akinkugbe had willed his entire Library to the University of Ibadan.
Given the growing number of universities in the country and the government’s continued inability to sustain the funding, Adebowale said the University of Ibadan would leverage its alumni to keep the system going.
Adebowale recalled that the government had handed off any involvement in the maintenance of halls of residence in the last two decades and the University had been sustaining the halls out of its lean resources in order to make learning more convenient as well as provide security for the students.
To provide on-campus accommodation for a larger percentage of the students, Adebowale said the University had engaged in 18 Public-Private-Partnerships, out of which only four have become functional with Build-Operate-Transfer Halls of Residence.
