OAU Declares Three-Week Break After Students Protest Transport, Welfare Issues

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has directed all students to proceed on a three-week mid-semester break following protests over transportation and welfare concerns on campus.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the decision was approved by the university’s Senate after student demonstrations escalated and disrupted activities within the campus.

According to the statement, the protest, which was triggered by dissatisfaction with a newly introduced transportation system, led to the obstruction of major access roads and the harassment of road users.

The university management noted that despite efforts to engage the students and restore calm, the situation raised concerns about the safety and well-being of both members of the university community and the general public.

“The Senate has approved that students proceed on a mid-semester break for a period of three weeks with immediate effect,” the statement said.

The institution explained that the break would provide an opportunity for dialogue with relevant stakeholders and help restore normalcy on campus. Students were also urged to remain law-abiding during the period.

The development follows a protest organised by the Students’ Union, during which students marched in large numbers to demand urgent action on transportation challenges, accommodation issues, and delays linked to the university’s e-portal upgrade.

A resolution reached at a congress held at Awo Café indicated that the protest would be peaceful but would involve blocking major roads and campus gates until their demands were addressed.

Students had also expressed concerns over a planned mid-semester evacuation from Awolowo Hall, as well as difficulties caused by the ongoing e-portal upgrade, which they said disrupted course registration and access to academic records weeks into the semester.

The protest came amid complaints of long queues and delays following the introduction of compressed natural gas-powered buses for intra-campus transport, a development students argued created additional challenges.

The transport initiative was reportedly introduced after the donation of buses by Oluremi Tinubu to improve mobility within the university. However, students maintained that its implementation worsened existing issues, ultimately leading to the protest and the subsequent shutdown of academic activities.