Long queues persist at OAU as transport crisis deepens

By Tofunmi Great 

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, are still grappling with severe transportation challenges on Monday, days after the Students’ Union suspended a 72-hour lecture boycott held between April 14 and 16, 2026.

The crisis began on March 29, when the university introduced a new transport arrangement following the donation of buses and tricycles by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.

The initiative, intended to ease movement, reduce transportation costs, and align with cleaner energy goals, is instead creating delays, increased costs, and uncertainty for many students.

The donation comprised 50 CNG buses and 30 tricycles. Unlike the previous Town-gboro buses, which provided direct routes between campus and surrounding areas such as Mayfair, Asherifa, and Damico, the new system primarily operates within campus, terminating at the campus gate, effectively splitting what used to be a single journey into multiple stages.

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Commercial Town-gboro buses withdrew from campus routes shortly after the rollout, leading to a sharp increase in transport fares in surrounding areas.

Videos circulating on social media on Monday show students queuing at bus stops for extended periods, particularly during peak hours. One user wrote that students living off-campus now spend almost double to get to campus, as all alternative transport means have been removed, and that to meet a 9am class, students must leave their hostels by 6am. Another user said queues stretched as far as the Mayfair area, describing it as the worst transport situation in a decade.

The Students’ Union had demanded provision of more vehicles to cater for the over 35,000-strong university community, immediate reintroduction of the existing transport system until enough buses are available, and full consultation with union leadership before further major changes to campus transportation.

The university’s Transport Management Committee introduced a ticketing system to manage the new structure. University authorities, during engagements with student representatives, described the current situation as a temporary phase and assured that additional buses would be introduced in coming months.

Students, however, say the assurances ring hollow. The union has warned that if conditions do not improve, a mass protest remains on the table.