OAU students boycott lectures over transportation problem

The students of Obafemi Awolowo University have reached a breaking point, forced to take drastic action by boycotting lectures for three days. This is not a decision taken lightly, but a necessary response to the deeply flawed and poorly implemented campus transportation system. The vehicles, a donation intended to ease mobility, have instead created a daily struggle for tens of thousands of students.

From overcrowded buses to endless queues and inadequate routes, the new system has severely disrupted academic life and daily routines. Students living off-campus are particularly hard-hit, facing expensive and unreliable alternatives. Despite repeated pleas to the university management, assurances of a "teething phase" have done little to alleviate the mounting frustration.

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The union shall embark on a total 72-hour lecture boycott starting from Tuesday, 14th April 2026, to Thursday, 16th April 2026. All academic activities are to be boycotted throughout this period.

The Students' Union Government has laid out clear demands: more vehicles to serve the student population, a return to the previous transport system until improvements are made, and genuine consultation with student leaders. The current situation, where a modernization effort has led to greater hardship, is unacceptable. If these concerns are not addressed promptly, further action, including mass protests, will be considered.

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The leadership shall review the situation at the end of the 72-hour boycott. Further actions such as a possible mass protest/march shall be considered if the management fails to address the demands satisfactorily within this period.