OAU Shuts Down Campus for 3 Weeks After Massive Student Protests Over Transport and Welfare Crisis

Following demonstrations over transportation and welfare issues on campus, Obafemi Awolowo University administration has ordered students to take a three-week midterm break.

Abiodun Olarewaju, the university's public relations officer, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Senate approved the decision after student protests intensified.

According to the statement, "the University Senate has approved that the students proceed with a mid-semester break for a period of three weeks, with immediate effect."

According to the administration, the move was required because main access highways were blocked and road users were harassed as a result of protests over a recently implemented transportation system.

"The situation has continued to pose concerns for the safety and well-being of members of the University community and the public, despite efforts to engage and appeal for calm," the statement read.

The university urged students to abide by the law during the break, stating that it would provide time for discussion with stakeholders and the return of normalcy to campus.

The development comes after the OAU Students' Union staged a protest in which a sizable number of students marched to demand immediate action about delays related to the school's e-portal upgrading, transportation problems, and housing issues.

The union insisted that the protest would be nonviolent and focused on returning to normal conditions for students, and a decision from a congress held at Awo Café had supported it.

According to the resolution, "the demonstration shall be conducted peacefully... with the intention of blocking major roads and gates leading to the campus until our demands are met."

The planned midterm evacuation from Awolowo Hall and the current e-portal upgrade, which they said interfered with course registration and results access weeks into the semester, were also criticized by students.

After compressed natural gas-powered buses were introduced for intra-campus transportation, there were complaints about lengthy lines and delays, which led to the protest.

In order to improve mobility within the institution, Oluremi Tinubu donated buses, which prompted the transportation reforms.

Students, however, claimed that the implementation brought about new difficulties and tensions, which led to the demonstration and shutdown that followed.