Students of Obafemi Awolowo University on Tuesday staged a peaceful coordinated protest on campus, intensifying pressure on authorities over unresolved welfare and academic challenges disrupting daily life at the university.
The protest, which drew a large turnout, saw students march toward the main gate in a unified display of frustration, while maintaining what organisers described as a peaceful and orderly conduct consistent with the tradition of “Great Ife” students.
The action was backed by a formal resolution reached during a congress held at Awo Café. According to the officially adopted resolution, “the Students’ Union stage a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday, 28th April, 2026, 6am, with the intention to block major roads and gates leading to the campus until our demands are met.”
Reinforcing its stance on non-violence, the resolution declared that “the demonstration shall be conducted peacefully and in line with the known tradition of Great Ife students for orderly and non-violent protests, with adequate sensitization of the student populace.”
The protest reflects growing dissatisfaction across multiple fronts. Central among these is the ongoing transportation crisis on campus, which students say has significantly disrupted movement and academic schedules following recent structural changes to the system.
In addition, concerns over accommodation have heightened tensions, particularly with plans to evacuate students from Awolowo Hall Blocks 7 and 8 for renovation. The union had earlier rejected the move, citing poor timing and lack of adequate alternatives.
Academic processes have also been affected, with students facing difficulties accessing the institution’s e-portal for course registration and results, weeks into the semester, an issue many now consider critical to their academic progression.
These concerns were earlier detailed in an official press release issued by the Students’ Union, titled “Update on Transportation Crisis and Other Critical Student Welfare Issues.” In the statement, the Union warned that the newly implemented transport system had imposed “severe hardship on students such as physical exhaustion, lateness to academic activities, and heightened frustration across campus.”
On the issue of accommodation, the Union categorically rejected the proposed mid-semester evacuation of students from Awo Hall Blocks 7 and 8, describing it as “impractical and unjustifiable,” particularly in light of the worsening transport crisis and absence of alternative arrangements.
Addressing academic concerns, the Union also criticised the timing of the ongoing e-portal upgrade, noting that students had been unable to register courses or access results weeks into the semester. However, the ICT Directorate reportedly assured that the portal would be fully functional within 72 hours.
The Union further warned that while students had exercised patience “in the interest of institutional progress,” that patience had now been “exhausted,” stressing that failure to implement immediate and practical solutions could lead to wider unrest.
Despite the escalation, the Students’ Union continues to position the protest as a necessary but measured response. The emphasis on peaceful engagement underscores a broader demand, not just for immediate fixes, but for a restoration of stability and normalcy within the university system.
With tensions rising and patience thinning among the student body, attention now turns to the university management and how swiftly it can respond with practical, effective solutions to address the crisis.
