The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has directed students to proceed on a three-week mid-semester break following protests over transportation and welfare concerns on campus.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju.

According to the university, the decision was approved by the Senate after student demonstrations escalated.

The management said the protest, which began over a newly introduced transportation system, led to the obstruction of major access roads and harassment of road users.

It stated that despite attempts to engage students and appeal for calm, the situation continued to raise concerns about the safety and well-being of members of the university community and the general public.

The university explained that the temporary break would provide time for dialogue with stakeholders and help restore normalcy on campus.

Students were advised to remain law-abiding during the three weeks.

The development followed a protest organised by the OAU Students’ Union, where students marched in large numbers demanding urgent solutions to transportation difficulties, accommodation concerns, and delays caused by the school’s e-portal upgrade.

A resolution passed during a congress at Awo Café had approved the protest, which students described as peaceful.

The union said the protest was intended to continue until their demands were addressed.

Students also complained about the planned mid-semester evacuation from Awolowo Hall and disruptions to course registration and access to results caused by the ongoing e-portal upgrade.

The protest also came amid frustration over long queues and delays after the introduction of compressed natural gas-powered buses for intra-campus transportation.

The buses had been donated by Oluremi Tinubu to improve movement within the university.

However, students said the implementation created fresh difficulties, leading to tensions that eventually resulted in the protest and the university shutdown.