The University of Ibadan bookshop, long regarded as a key academic resource, is struggling to survive due to a lack of funding and institutional support.
Though located within Nigeria’s premier university, the bookshop operates autonomously, with responsibility for paying staff salaries and maintaining facilities. Sources indicate that this arrangement has left the company in financial distress, as most revenue from sales is reinvested in purchasing new books, leaving little for operational expenses.
Head of sales, Oluwapelumi Afolabi, said the shop continues to provide students with textbooks, journals and other materials despite mounting challenges. The bookshop has also donated to orphanages and underprivileged groups, even without external assistance.
Staff warn that unless urgent support is provided by the government, the university, or private donors, the bookshop may not be able to sustain its role in supporting academic programmes.
The crisis comes amid rising costs of educational materials and wider concerns over underfunding in Nigeria’s education sector.
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