By Isaac Malagu |
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have expressed their ordeals due to the crisis caused by the newly implemented transportation policy within and outside the school campus.
The school administration introduced a policy on March 29, 2026, which mandates students to purchase tickets for transportation services rather than the cash payment they were used to.
This policy was introduced after the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, donated 50 buses and 30 tricycles powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the university. Oluremi, an alumnus, made the donation on Jan. 29, 2026, to ease the burden and cost of transportation on students.
However, students have faced collective difficulty moving within the campus environment since the implementation of the new transport system. The previous system, popularly known as Town Gboro buses, transports over 30,000 students within and outside the school environment. As of when this story is published, the ‘Town Gboro’ system has been stopped.
Reactions trailing the implementation are concerning, with many students demanding the reinstatement of the old system. Some students also suggested that Town Gboro buses, CNG buses, and tricycles should be allowed to operate simultaneously.
Ayodeji Adebisi, a 300-level student of Broadcast journalism, stated that the new transport system has complicated students’ mobility since its implementation. She said, “Students are spending double the original amount they normally spend. The new system is doing more harm than good.”
Students also complained about the unavailability of tickets, a policy implemented to reduce transportation cost and curb student exploitation. DNN News observed that the quantity available is limited for the large population, leading to difficulty in procuring the tickets.
Olaleye Aliyah, a 300-level student of Information Science, berated the hassle of getting tickets, stating that students would spend a lot of time in line. She urged the school management to provide more tickets and additional ticketing locations to reduce crowds at a particular location. She said “Sometimes, after struggling to get a ticket, getting buses ends in futility. The school should provide locations and enough tickets to reduce long queues and crowds.”
Babatunde Ridwan, a 300-level student from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, said that the removal of motorcycles has caused many issues on campus, stressing that movement within the campus is now more difficult, making it hard for students to attend classes or be on time for lectures. He said, “The removal of motorcycles has caused a lot of issues on campus, students have to wait for buses and tricycles to go to classes when they are running late.”
From interviews conducted by DNN News, students complained that those living in Lagere, Mayfair, and AP axis are affected the most, as they have to spend twice as much as they did before.
The student union went on a 72-hour lecture boycott from April 14th to 16th in protest, calling on the school management to intervene, but no compromise has been made.
As of the time this report is published, the school management has not proposed any solution to this hardship caused by the newly implemented transport system.
Efforts to contact the Dean of Student Affairs and the Student Union public relations officer (PRO) proved abortive. DNN News attempted to call and send messages via WhatsApp but has not yet received responses.
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