OAU Suspends Academic Activities, Orders Mid-Semester Break After Student Protests

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has suspended academic activities and directed students to proceed on a mid-semester break following protests over transportation challenges and other welfare concerns on campus.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, who said the measure was approved by the university’s Senate after an emergency meeting.

According to the management, the protest, which was  initially organised to express dissatisfaction over a newly introduced transport system escalated into disruptions, including the blocking of major access roads and alleged harassment of road users.

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

However, the statement also referenced a two-week break in another section, creating uncertainty about the exact duration of the suspension.

Protest Over Welfare Concerns

The protest followed resolutions reached at an emergency congress held at Awolowo Hall Cafeteria on Monday, April 27, where students highlighted concerns over the transport system, challenges in Awolowo Hall of Residence, and difficulties with the university’s e-portal affecting registration and fee payments.

What began as a warning protest quickly escalated into a large demonstration. Students marched from Awo Café across halls of residence before converging at the university’s main gate, where they blocked access and restricted vehicular movement.

The protest later extended to major routes within and outside the campus, including Road 1 and parts of Ede Road, drawing participation from students and other road users.

Students React

At the peak of the protest, students gathered in large numbers at the campus gate, chanting solidarity songs and awaiting the outcome of the Senate meeting convened by management.

Some students described the protest as a response to ongoing hardship.

Taiwo, a 300-level student in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, said the demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to students’ realities.

“We are all here for solidarity. Everybody is going through a lot, and we want the school management to understand what we are facing,” she said.

She added that students are demanding improvements in the transport system to reduce long queues, clarity on the proposed renovation of Awolowo Hall, and urgent fixes to issues affecting access to the e-portal.

Another student, Adedayo Ejide, a 300-level student of Information and Media Studies, described the protest as necessary.

“These issues affect everyone. Some of us have to board buses multiple times just to move in and out of campus daily,” he said, noting that the situation has disrupted both academic and non-academic activities.

Conflicting Positions

In the early hours of Tuesday, as students began demonstrations across campus, the school management issued a statement titled “New Transportation System in OAU: No Cause for Alarm.”

In the release, the university maintained that the transport system was introduced following consultations with student representatives and transport operators. It also stated that waiting time for buses does not exceed ten minutes at peak periods and that additional buses were being deployed to improve services.

Following the escalation of the protest, the university, through its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, announced a separate directive approving a three-week mid-semester break and the suspension of academic activities.

The Great Ife Students’ Union, in its response, rejected the university’s characterisation of the protest as unruly, insisting that the demonstration was peaceful and orderly.

The union described management’s claims as “misrepresentative” and criticised the decision to shut down the university and direct students to vacate campus as “disproportionate and punitive.”

The three week mid-semester break takes immediate effect, with the university reaffirming its commitment to providing a conducive learning environment for the OAU community.