By By: Lawrence Oseghale and Aderohunmu Abdulrokeeb
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have staged a peaceful protest following a breakdown in negotiations between the Students’ Union and university management over transportation challenges and the proposed mid-semester evacuation of residents from Awolowo Hall.
The protest, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, April 28, 2026, was in line with a resolution reached at a congress held on April 27, where students agreed to demonstrate and block major access routes into the campus to press home their demands.
”Resolution 1: That the Students’ Union stage a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, 28th April 2026, 6am, with the intention to block major roads and gates leading to the campus until our demands are met” the release stated.
The action comes days after the Great Ife Students’ Union issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the university management on April 25, calling for urgent intervention in what it described as a worsening transportation crisis and other critical welfare issues. The union had earlier engaged management in a series of meetings, which it said yielded no concrete or immediate solutions.
In previous statements, the union highlighted the hardship caused by the newly introduced transport system, citing increased physical strain, lateness to academic activities, and growing frustration among students. Management, however, maintained that restrictions on certain buses were necessary to preserve the aesthetic outlook of key areas of the campus, while proposing private sector involvement as a long-term solution.
The union also opposed the directive requiring students in Blocks 7 and 8 of Awolowo Hall to vacate mid-semester for renovation. While university authorities attributed the decision to time-bound TETFund intervention, the students argued that the move was poorly timed and failed to account for accommodation challenges and the ongoing transport difficulties.
Concerns were further raised over delays in the institution’s e-portal upgrade, which has prevented many students from registering courses and accessing their academic records weeks into the semester. Although the university’s ICT unit indicated that the platform would soon be fully functional, the union maintained that the cumulative issues demanded urgent attention.
Following the expiration of the ultimatum and continued deadlock in negotiations, students mobilised in large numbers to demand immediate and practical solutions. The protest reflects mounting dissatisfaction across campus, as students continue to call on the university management to address their concerns without further delay.
In an interview, the Student Union PRO, Oreoluwa Joseph, stated that the current system has become overbearing for students. While acknowledging the introduction of CNG-powered transportation as a commendable innovation, he criticized the operational framework used to implement it. According to him, banning other commercial vehicles in favour of only the newly introduced CNG buses has disrupted students’ mobility and does not adequately support their daily needs.
“I would like to make it known to the public that this great union is not apathetic to innovations. The introduction of CNG is something that is very cheap and is going to assist the populace, but in a situation where it is insufficient, we cannot keep on adapting to that suffering,” he lamented.
Addressing the eviction of students from Obafemi Awolowo Hall, particularly Blocks 7 and 8, he described the planned renovation as a positive step. However, he faulted the decision to displace students without providing proper alternatives, noting that such action contradicts the union’s commitment to student welfare.
As of the time of filing this report, the Union executives are to meet with the school management in an impromptu Senate meeting.
