Tanko Ishaya, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), has voiced his concerns over the alarming shortage of hostel accommodation available for students on campus.
His comments came during a visit from members of the 1998 set of the university’s Faculty of Law on Saturday in Jos.
Mr. Ishaya highlighted the stark reality facing the university, which currently accommodates over 45,000 students.
“It is unfortunate that most of them find it difficult to have access to hostel accommodation,” he lamented. He pointed out the disparity between the university’s current living conditions and global standards, stating, “As we speak, only seven per cent of our students live within the campus against the global standard of 40 per cent.”
The VC attributed this situation to the significant shortage of hostel facilities, explaining that over 90 per cent of students are compelled to live off-campus.
“We are making efforts to address this concern through public-private partnership,” he assured the gathering, expressing optimism for future improvements.
In addition to the accommodation crisis, Mr. Ishaya revealed that the university’s electricity expenses have surged dramatically, reaching over N80 million per month. To combat this financial burden, he announced initiatives to develop a solar farm that would generate power for the institution and its surrounding community, stating,
“Efforts are also in place to develop a solar farm to generate power that would serve the institution and its host community.”
He also took the opportunity to inform the former law students about the university’s academic offerings, noting that UNIJOS is currently running 78 fully accredited
