OAU Students Begin 72-hour Lecture Boycott Over Transport Crisis

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have announced a 72-hour lecture boycott over persistent transportation challenges within the campus.

In a statement jointly signed by the Union President, Adelani Oluwatodimu; Secretary, Habeeb Isa; and Public Relations Officer, Olowosile Oreoluwa, the decision, which takes effect from Tuesday, April 14 to Thursday, April 16, 2026, was reached at a congress of the Students’ Union.

The students said the action followed what they described as inadequacies in the institution’s transport system, which has continued to subject them to difficult conditions.

They listed the challenges to include a persistent shortage of operational tricycles and buses, overcrowding, discomfort, and insufficient drivers.

The union therefore directed that all academic activities be boycotted during the 72-hour period.

The students also demanded the provision of more vehicles to serve the over 35,000 members of the university community, as well as the immediate reintroduction of the former transport system until sufficient vehicles are deployed.

They further called for proper implementation of the new transport system to ensure adequate, affordable, and reliable intra-campus mobility, and insisted on full consultation with the Students’ Union before any major changes to campus transportation.

The union leadership warned that it would review the situation at the end of the boycott and could embark on further actions, including a mass protest, if their demands are not met within the stipulated period.