OAU’s Poor Toilet Facilities Threaten Menstrual Health, Education of Female Students

Temilolu Oyebanji, a 200-level student of Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, was in class when she realised her period had started. However, the lecture theatre had no usable toilet, so she left in the middle of the lecture and returned to her hostel to change. 

By the time she came back, a test conducted in her absence was almost over. According to her, if there had been a clean and accessible toilet nearby, she would not have had to choose between her health, education, and dignity.

For Temilolu and many other female students in OAU, managing menstrual hygiene on campus remains a persistent challenge—one that continues to affect both their health and academic performance.

According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (2012), women and adolescent girls use a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect menstrual blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. However, for many female OAU students, these conditions are not met.

Many point to inadequate water supply, poor maintenance, and the lack of proper disposal systems as key challenges. Students who spoke with CAMPUS REPORTER described toilets in some hostels as difficult to use, citing unclean surroundings, inconsistent water supply, and the absence of bins for sanitary products.

According to Temilolu, poor toilet conditions have made it difficult to manage menstruation safely. 

“Most of the lecture theatres we use, their toilets are not good at all, so I have to leave my class and rush back to my hostel,” she said. She added that finding alternatives is not always easy. “Before my period starts, I look for toilets that are manageable to use. Some are locked, some are very dirty, and sometimes there’s no space to even change.”

“During the last Christmas break, I had to go home to treat an infection. It was very bad. The first thing the nurse asked me was if my school toilets were clean,” she said.

Other students report similar challenges. Ajibade Testimony, a 300-levelMass Communication student who lives off-campus, said she sometimes leaves campus during the day to access a usable toilet. 

She explained that many facilities are either locked or in poor condition. “I once needed to use the toilet urgently, but the first one I got to was locked. I went to another one, and it was very bad,” she said.

A 400-level student who identified herself as Peace, said the lack of running water in hostels adds to the difficulty. She explained that managing menstrual cramps while fetching water from downstairs creates additional strain. “You’re having cramps and you can’t even stand up, but you still have to take care of yourself and go downstairs to fetch water,” she said. 

Peace mentioned that in cases where there is no running water in the hostel, she resolves to go home as her parents house is not far from campus at the detriment of her academics as there is a possibility that test or attendance will be taken.

Data gathered by CAMPUS REPORTER through a survey shows that nine out of ten respondents said poor toilet conditions or lack of water affect how they manage menstruation. Further findings also showed access to sanitary pad disposal facilities is also inconsistent. While 36.36 per cent of the students reported the presence of sanitary bins, 45.45 per cent said they relied on general waste bins or improvised methods like nylon bags, indicating the absence of a uniform and adequate disposal system.

The Students’ Union Vice President, Iyanuoluwa Falade, said the issue goes beyond infrastructure, explaining that menstrual hygiene should be considered part of student welfare, requiring systems that support female students adequately.

Guidance from global health bodies like UNICEF and WHO continues to emphasise the need for water, privacy, and safe disposal facilities. Recent reporting on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)  in Nigeria also indicates that only 8% of schools provide facilities that adequately support menstrual hygiene, reinforcing the gap between policy and practice.

For students like Temilolu, the consequences are immediate and personal—missed classes, health risks, and constant anxiety over something as basic as access to a clean toilet. Without improvements in water supply, sanitation, maintenance, and disposal systems, female students at the university may continue to face difficult choices between their health, dignity, and education.

Efforts to obtain comments from the university authorities, including two visits to the hall warden, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

This report is a collaborative report produced by Esther Olatimehin, Yaacoub Ibrahim, Ifeoluwa Jones, Ajao Omolara, Lukuman Fathia Bola, Adeyemi Cynthia, Edun Oritsejolomisan, Odeyemi KeyofJoy, Akano Jesuloba, Ojegbola Mercy, Babalola Janet, and Ajayi Mercy as part of the Next Gen Campus Clinic at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.