By Adedoyin Oguntade
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) are set to begin a peaceful protest on Tuesday morning over the institution’s new transport system, following the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued to the university management.
The decision was reached during a congress held on Monday evening at the Awolowo Café, where students resolved to escalate their response after earlier actions failed to yield results.
A statement signed by the Students’ Union President and Secretary-General, Adelani Oluwatodimu and Habeeb Isa respectively, said the protest will begin at 6:00 a.m., with plans to block major roads and campus gates until their demands are met.
“The demonstration shall be conducted peacefully in line with the tradition of Great Ife students for orderly and non-violent protests, with adequate sensitisation of the student populace,” the union assured.
The leadership of the union is expected to lead the demonstration and ensure proper coordination as sensitisation across halls of residence began immediately after the congress.
Background to protest
The planned protest follows a series of actions by the Students’ Union in response to the new transport arrangement introduced by the university management.
Recall that the new transport arrangement was introduced following the donation of 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and 30 tricycles by Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, an alumna of the university.
Commissioned on 29 January, the initiative was presented as a fulfilment of a promise made during a convocation ceremony in December 2024, where the first lady pledged to alleviate transportation challenges on campus.
However, its rollout has significantly altered how students move as the new system led to the removal of Towngboro buses and commercial motorcycles (okada), which previously provided quicker and more flexible movement, especially for off-campus students.
DevReporting earlier reported that the Students’ Union embarked on a 72-hour lecture boycott over high fares, long queues and difficult movement across campus. However, the union said the action did not yield a positive response.
On 25 April, the union issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding immediate and practical solutions to the transport challenges, as well as a reversal of what it described as the “ill-timed evacuation” of Awo Hall blocks.
Escalation after deadline
The union had warned that failure to meet its demands would trigger further action.
With the deadline now expired, students have moved to stage a protest, marking a shift from boycott and negotiations to direct action.
