THE POWER BANK ECONOMY: How LASU Students Survive Without Light
For a typical LASUITE, a power bank is no longer an accessory — it is academic survival equipment. With inconsistent power supply in hostels, off-campus lodges around Igbo-Eleru, Iba, and PPL, and few working sockets in lecture halls, students have built a whole economy around charging phones and laptops. The student who owns a 30,000mAh power bank with fast-charge is automatically the most popular person on the floor.
By 6:00 PM, the race shifts from lecture halls to charging spots. Business centers near the Faculty of Education and the Students’ Arcade are packed with students waiting to pay N100 to N200 just to charge for an hour. In lecture halls like 3-in-1, students sit close to the wall not to hear the lecturer better, but to fight for the one working socket. Many arrive for evening classes with two phones — one dead, one on 12% — hoping to copy notes before both go off. Online tests and virtual classes become nightmares when your device dies mid-submission.
Beyond the inconvenience, it’s costing students money and grades. Students spend up to N1,500 weekly just on charging fees, not counting the cost of replacing weak batteries and bad cords. Those who can’t afford big power banks miss important class group updates, assignment deadlines on WhatsApp, and e-learning uploads. The most affected are final year students, who need constant power for project research and typing, but end up spending nights at the Faculty of Science or Law library not to read, but to charge.
Fixing this doesn’t require a miracle. Functional solar-powered charging booths around major faculties, a ban on business centers hoarding extension boxes inside lecture halls, and consistent hostel light — even if it’s scheduled — would reduce the daily panic. Until then, in LASU, your CGPA is not just about how well you read, it’s about how long your battery can last.
