The University of Lagos has confirmed that water supplied to Moremi Hall, one of its major female hostels, is contaminated, prompting emergency safety measures and heightened concern across the campus.

The confirmation followed days of complaints from students who reported vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly from female hostels. In response, the university launched a comprehensive assessment of its water supply network, including laboratory analysis of samples from halls of residence.

According to the institution’s Communication Unit, preliminary test results showed that water from Moremi Hall was contaminated, while investigations into other hostels are still underway. The university did not immediately disclose the specific nature of the contamination but stressed that precautionary steps had been activated.

Management has directed students and staff to use tap water only for washing and sanitation. Any water intended for drinking, cooking or other domestic use must be boiled before consumption until the university issues further guidance.

Officials linked the heightened risk to the university’s location on wetlands and the ongoing rainy season, conditions that can compromise water sources and distribution systems if not tightly managed.

The university has also urged any member of the community experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea or related symptoms to report promptly to the University Medical Centre for assessment and treatment. Health personnel are said to be monitoring cases closely.

Despite the confirmed contamination in Moremi Hall, the University of Lagos Students’ Union has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the cause of reported illnesses. The union said medical staff had not yet established a definitive link between the hostel water and the symptoms presented, noting that some affected students live off campus.

An earlier inspection carried out after reports of discoloured water in one hostel block traced the problem to a specific borehole serving that block. The university subsequently suspended supply from the affected source and arranged alternative water provision for residents.

University authorities have appealed for calm, urging students and staff to rely solely on official communication channels for updates and to avoid spreading unverified information that could trigger panic while laboratory tests on other hostels continue.