How to Study When There's No Light: A Real Guide for Nigerian Students

Let's be honest. Some nights, your biggest problem isn't focus. It's darkness.

This isn't a lecture about discipline. It's a practical guide for students who want to study but keep getting stopped by power cuts.

How big is the problem?

Bigger than most people outside Nigeria realise. The World Bank's latest figure says 62.5% of Nigerians had access to electricity in 2024. By our sum, that leaves about 3 in every 8 people with no electricity at all. And many of those who are connected still go days without power.

In 2024, an Ibadan headteacher, Abdulhakeem Adedoja, told reporters his primary school was connected to the grid but could go two weeks without power. The school stopped using its diesel generator because fuel cost too much.

Another Ibadan school founder, Muyideen Raji, explained what that means for learning.

"education has gone digital, and there's no way we can give the students the best of what they need without electricity." Muyideen Raji, school founder, Ibadan, 2024

University students feel it too. In 2025, students at Modibbo Adama University in Yola complained about getting only a few hours of electricity a day during exams. By our sum, the supply times reported add up to about five hours, roughly a fifth of the day. And many of them preferred studying at night because the days were so hot.

What actually works

1. Get a solar lantern if you can

A solar lantern is a one-time cost. Fuel for a generator is a cost that keeps climbing. In 2026, a project at GSS Karshi, on the edge of Abuja, gave 80 students solar lanterns, because many had been relying on candles, kerosene lamps, or simply stopping study at night.

2. Be careful with kerosene and candles

Kerosene lamps aren't just dim and smoky. The World Health Organization warns about burns and poisoning from household kerosene, especially for children.

"The ingestion of kerosene by accident is the leading cause of childhood poisonings" World Health Organization, 2025

If you must use one, keep it away from younger children, books and curtains, and never store kerosene in a drink bottle.

3. Plan your day around the light

Do your heaviest reading in daylight, especially early morning and right after school. Save the dark hours for things that don't need bright light: reciting formulas, testing yourself out loud, listening to recorded lessons, or discussing with a friend.

4. Learn your area's pattern

Many areas have a rough pattern to when power comes and goes. Notice it, and put the work that needs your laptop, your phone or bright light into the hours power is more likely to be on.

5. Treat your phone battery like study money

Charge your phone fully every time power comes, not just when it's low. A charged phone can give you light, past questions and recorded lessons. Turn the brightness down and close apps you don't need, so it lasts longer.

The bigger picture

The government knows electricity is a problem for education. In September 2026, the Education Minister proposed moving universities to solar power, saying electricity costs were one of the biggest pressures on them.

"one of the heaviest strains on university finances" Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, September 2026

That may help universities in time. For you, tonight, the plan is simpler: use daylight for heavy work, keep your phone charged, and get a solar lantern if you can.

You can also catch up on lessons when the light comes back. On Scholarleveling, students can watch recordings of live classes again on any phone.

Read next: getting through JAMB, WAEC and NECO without burning out, or how to raise your JAMB score.