Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Hundreds of students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Tuesday barricaded the busy Ife-Ede road and blocked all major entry points into the campus in a peaceful but firm demonstration to demand urgent action over a lingering transportation crisis, accommodation shortfalls, and a dysfunctional e-portal that has left many unable to register courses or access results weeks into the semester. The protest, organised by the Students’ Union, began at 6 a.m. on April 28, 2026, following a congress held on Monday at Awo Café, where union members unanimously approved the action to press home their demands. In a joint statement signed by Students’ Union President Adelani David and General Secretary Habeeb Oke Isa, the leadership stressed that the demonstration would be conducted peacefully and in line with the “known tradition of Great Ife students for orderly and non-violent protests”.
The immediate trigger for the protest was the acute shortage of campus shuttle buses. The situation worsened after the university management restricted public commercial buses and motorcycles (popularly known as okada) from operating within the campus, following a high-profile donation of 50 buses and 30 compressed natural gas-powered tricycles by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu. While students acknowledged the donation, they argued it was grossly inadequate. “We appreciate the First Lady for donating 50 buses and 30 tricycles. However, these buses are insufficient for the student population, and most of the existing buses are in poor condition,” Deputy Speaker of the Students’ Union Nasiru Olajide told reporters. Students say queues at bus stops stretch for hours, forcing many to miss lectures or trek long distances. “Yesterday, students were trekking as far as the gate to the campus,” Union President Adelani David lamented. “Situations like that should not be happening”.
The Students’ Union presented a clear set of demands to the university management. First, they called for the immediate return of the old transport system, known as the “Town-Gboro” buses, arguing that the existing 50 buses cannot cater to over 40,000 students, as well as staff and other campus users. Alternatively, they demanded that the management ensure sufficient vehicles are added to the new fleet to meet the population’s needs. “Pending that time, all academic activities should be halted because, without that, there is no means of transportation on campus,” the union warned. Students were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Students are tired of walking,” “Bring back our transportation system,” and “50 buses not enough for OAU students”.
The protest also highlighted deep frustrations over accommodation. The union rejected a plan by the university management to evacuate residents of Awolowo Hall Blocks 7 and 8 for renovation while the academic session is ongoing. “The Union categorically rejected the implementation of such an evacuation without adequate notice, proper planning, or the provision of alternative accommodation for affected students,” a statement signed by the union leadership read. Students argued that forcing residents out mid-session with no replacement housing would aggravate an already severe accommodation shortage, forcing many to seek expensive private housing in Ile-Ife. Olajide noted that many students living off-campus already face increased transportation costs due to the bus shortage, making the situation even more unbearable.
Another major grievance was the ongoing upgrade of the university’s e-portal. Weeks into the semester, many students have been unable to register their courses or access their academic results. The union described the delays as a serious impediment to academic progression and warned of potential disruptions to graduation timelines if the issues are not resolved quickly. Students reported that the portal has been plagued with payment discrepancies and login failures, adding to the growing list of frustrations. “The e-portal has a lot of discrepancies. There is nowhere you can push students. We shouldn’t be paying to get results; we were not paying before,” the union president said.
Videos and photographs from the scene showed large crowds of students marching in groups, carrying placards, and singing solidarity songs. Despite barricading the Ife-Ede road and causing gridlock, the demonstration remained non-violent throughout. No incidents of vandalism or destruction of property were recorded. The protest began as early as 6 a.m., and by 7 a.m., students had successfully blocked the main gate, diverting traffic through alternative routes and preventing staff and other persons with business inside the campus from gaining access. The union warned that the blockade would continue until their demands were met.
As of the time of this report, the university management had not issued an official response to the students’ demands. Efforts to reach the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, were unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile phone did not connect. The university had previously defended the new transport policy, citing the need to sanitise the campus from the chaos of commercial buses and okada. However, students insisted that the transition was poorly executed without adequate consultation or logistics planning.
The demonstration at OAU underscores a broader trend of student unrest in Nigerian universities, where growing student populations, dwindling infrastructure, and economic pressures have repeatedly led to protests. Students have called on the federal government, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to intervene by providing additional buses and addressing the systemic issues affecting campus welfare. The union has vowed to sustain the pressure until the management meets their demands. “We are not asking for too much,” one protester was quoted as saying. “We just want a system that works so we can focus on our studies”.
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