By Samuel Faseyitan and John Alabi
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone D, on Wednesday, intervened in the transportation crisis at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, protesting the institution’s three-week mid-semester break and demanding that management reduce it to one week while urgently addressing students’ welfare concerns.
In a statement signed by Public Relations Officer Abiodun Olarewaju, the university directed students to proceed on a three-week break, stating that the decision is necessary to maintain peace and safety within and outside the university environment. The directive followed a protest by OAU students, who blocked the university’s campus gate to express their grievances over the new transportation system and other welfare concerns.
The Division of Student Affairs also confirmed the directive and instructed students in various halls of residence to vacate their rooms within 12 hours. Power supply in the hostels was cut off, and the university health centre was attending only to emergency cases. Also, students were seen trekking from their halls of residence to the campus gate with their luggage.
NANS Protest from Campus Gate to Senate Building
In reaction to the university’s directive, NANS South West Zone D, led by its coordinator, Comrade Josiah Adeyemo, issued a statement assuring OAU students of solidarity and support. Members of the association arrived at the university’s campus gate around 9:00 a.m. today, Wednesday, 29th April, where they protested the three-week break and demanded that the management address the students’ concerns.
Addressing students and observers, Adeyemo said the matter could have been resolved internally before it escalated. He noted that parents work day and night to secure the future of their children and argued that students should not be denied their academic rights for expressing their grievances through a peaceful protest. ‘An injury to one is an injury to all. The future of Nigerian students will be determined by Nigerian students,’ Adeyemo said.
However, he clarified that NANS was not on campus for confrontation but for mediation. After addressing the students at the campus gate, NANS leaders opened the gate and moved to the Senate Building, where the protest continued. They demanded an audience with the university management over the transport crisis, the break, and other welfare concerns. The NANS leadership also met officials of the Division of Student Affairs, including the Vice Dean, before a formal meeting was held at the Ajose Lecture Theatre.
Management, NANS, Students’ Union Hold Emergency Meeting
The meeting between the university management and NANS was held at Ajose Lecture Theatre with the attendance of OAU Students’ Union officers and the university management, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Oluropo Akinfala; the Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Professor John Odedire; and other members of the management. After a formal introduction of all management officials present by Prof. Akinfala, the NANS Press Secretary, Comrade Idowu Samuel, introduced the leadership of the NANS.
Opening the meeting, Akinfala recalled the history of students’ unionism and urged student leaders to present their demands constructively, while Comrade Alao John, an erstwhile NANS coordinator, addressed the management on behalf of NANS, saying the association’s intervention was about students’ welfare and not to create violence. ‘There won’t be management without students,’ he added, while clarifying that the OAU Students’ Union executives did not invite them.
Comrade Adeyemo added that NANS had monitored the situation for almost four weeks and followed public releases by the Students’ Union. He said OAU was not usually known for victimisation but noted that recent developments had raised concerns, especially alleged threats against student leaders and the cutting off of hostel utilities. According to him, transportation should not have become a major crisis, but NANS had to step in because the issue had gone beyond internal resolution.
‘As the NANS South West Zone D Coordinator, when I see something going on, I observe the leadership of the institution and see if it is something that can be managed. For OAU, since it is a transport issue, I believed it would be managed, but it was not effectively managed, which is why we are here,’ he stated.
Additionally, he criticised the three-week break, describing the Senate’s decision as an attempt to avoid accountability. While appreciating the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s gesture, he, however, stated that the intervention should not become a source of hardship.
‘On that note, we do not want benefits bestowed upon us to be taken back. So, we should be reasonable with any resolution, so that the matter does not escalate beyond the South-West region,’ he noted.
Responding, Akinfala explained that the university first engaged the Students’ Union on the transport issue in January 2025 and later involved key stakeholders, including the Transport Management Committee Chairman, in its implementation. He added that upon becoming DVC (Administration), he discovered the committee had not been meeting regularly, prompting him to create a WhatsApp group to improve engagement. He also began consulting long-serving transport workers and a transport management expert who had studied OAU’s system since 2018 to guide the new transport policy.
Akinfala mentioned that the data presented to the university showed that before a Town Igboro bus could complete one trip to Opa, the CNG buses could complete about four trips, even with a five per cent margin of error. This, he said, informed the management’s decision to launch the new transport system on April 1 for a three-month trial period.
He explained that resistance from Town Igboro drivers, who withdrew their buses during the test phase, forced the university to rely on available buses, while overlooked factors such as OAU International School students, Faculty of Agriculture students, and staff commuters worsened congestion. Akinfala acknowledged the resulting long queues, prompting measures such as passenger numbering, improved queue management, the addition of Marcopolo buses, as well as plans to involve private investors, including electric bus operators, as recommended by the Students’ Union officials.
The DVC acknowledged that the buses were insufficient but faulted the Students’ Union for poor engagement before implementation. He said management later met with student leaders and the vice chancellor, who appealed for compromise. According to him, management agreed to keep the Marcopolo buses running and requested additional buses from two faculties. However, he said the situation escalated after another congress was held, alleging that political and financial interests had influenced the protest. He said the decision to send students home was taken after several options were considered by the senate.
NANS Issues Four Demands
In response, Adeyemo acknowledged communication gaps between the management and the Students’ Union but emphasised that the focus should be on viable solutions before students return.
NANS then highlighted four demands to the management, including:
i. Restoration of hostel utilities;
ii. Non-victimisation of Students’ Union executives;
iii. No renovation of Awolowo Hall until after the session ends; and
iv. Reduction of the three-week break to one week while management works on a proper solution to the transportation system.
On the Awolowo Hall renovation, the management said the ongoing work was a minor renovation, including repairs of doors and boreholes, and that no student would be forced out until after the session.
On hostel utilities, management explained that power and water supply were cut to save cost during the break but agreed that they would be restored.
Reacting to the demand for the break period to be reduced, Akinfala stated the management did not wish to declare the break, especially as other university activities had already been scheduled, including the West African Universities Games, which had been planned in line with the university calendar. However, he stated that the management could not unilaterally bring students back within one week, noting that the Senate would have to reconvene to review and possibly reduce the three-week break.