By: IndyPress News Desk 

The University of Ibadan Dean of Students, Professor Demola Lewis, charged the newly inaugurated student leaders for the 2025/2026 academic session to embrace cooperation and structured engagement with university management.

He made this assertion during his opening remarks at the swearing-in ceremony of the new University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UI’SU) officers, held on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.

Speaking at the event, Professor Lewis described the current era of student unionism as an era of strategic engagement rather than a public show of displeasure through the destruction of the university properties.

“The contemporary era of students’ unionism is an era of strategic engagement in which gone are the days when students union vandalised the institution’s properties to propel their needs,” he said.

Stressing hierarchy in authority, Mr Lewis stated that student leaders can not “have a congress and say what we have discussed here is binding in the university.”

“You have to report to the university management,” he added.

He also encouraged the students ‘ union to co-operate with the university management, while referencing a 1,500 capacity SRC Hall of Residence built by management of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana university in cooperation with its Students’ Union.

He also assured the students officers that the halls of residence will be fixed.

“We are going to fix our halls of residence with your cooperation,” the dean stated.

Credit: UCJ