The Journalism Students’ Association (JSA) of the University of The Gambia (UTG) has issued a strong statement condemning the persistent power outages at the School of Journalism, calling for immediate and permanent action from the University’s Facilities and Finance Departments.
The association described the situation as “unacceptable and intolerable,” citing years of recurring electricity shortages that have severely disrupted lectures and media coursework. In some instances, the blackouts have stretched beyond 24 hours, forcing students to attend classes in complete darkness, often using phone flashlights to engage in classroom activities.
In a press release issued by the JSA, the students expressed frustration over the authorities’ inaction, despite repeated complaints and reminders. The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, and lasted for hours. During this period, a student had to volunteer to buy cash power while the UTG Facilities Department awaited procedural clearance even after receiving a prompt notification from the school’s Logistics Minister.
“This delay is not only unfair but also deeply disruptive,” the statement read. “Lectures are being compromised due to classrooms being too uncomfortable for effective learning.”
The JSA stressed that reliable electricity is essential for the delivery of quality education in journalism, where audiovisual materials, digital tools, and presentations form a crucial part of the curriculum.
“It is the clear responsibility of the Facilities and Finance Departments to ensure that the learning environment is adequately powered,” the students said, adding that the relevant officials appear “far too comfortable in their air-conditioned offices while students suffer needlessly.”
Students say they have protested the issue in the past, but their demands for change have gone largely unheeded. “It is unacceptable that tuition-paying students are continually subjected to such deplorable conditions,” the statement added.
The association concluded with a warning: if immediate steps are not taken to resolve the issue, students will be left with no option but to organize another peaceful demonstration to demand better conditions.
“This must be the last time students go without electricity due to negligence. We urge the authorities to act swiftly and responsibly,” they warned.
As of press time, there has been no official response from the UTG administration.
