New OAU Transport System: Student Entrepreneurs Cry Out As Delays Eat Into Profits, Delivery Times

Akahi News gathered that the introduction of a new transport system at Obafemi Awolowo University was meant to bring order and convenience to movement across the sprawling campus. For students attending lectures, it has indeed brought some structure. But for student entrepreneurs whose daily bread depends on moving goods and meeting customers, the new system has become an unexpected headache.

These are not idle complaints. For many student business owners, transportation is not merely about getting from a hostel to a lecture hall. It is directly linked to how smoothly their businesses operate and how much profit they can make before the sun sets. When movement slows, income follows suit.

Akahi News learnt that the challenges are real and growing. Students who once navigated the campus with relative ease now face delays, long queues, and overcrowded buses during peak hours. And for those carrying goods — food items, clothing materials, perfumes, accessories — every minute lost at a bus stop is money that never reaches their pockets.

‘My Profit Has Dropped Because Of This’ — Food Seller Laments Delivery Delays

Olufayo Deborah trades in packaged food items and clothing materials. She sells beans, locust beans, dried fish, and other edible condiments stored neatly in containers. She also deals in different types of clothes and fabrics. But getting her goods to customers has become a daily struggle.

According to her, living far from campus is already stressful enough. The situation within the school’s transport system has added even more weight to her shoulders.

“My place is really far from school, so coming to campus is stressful enough. Now with the transport situation inside school, delivering orders on time has become very difficult. My profit has dropped because of this. I don’t even want to increase the price of my goods because I’m scared of losing my customers,” she told Akahi News.

Deborah explained that her business depends heavily on timely delivery of orders to students in different hostels across campus. Delays in movement now mean delayed service, dissatisfied customers, and reduced sales. Her income is suffering. Her customer relationships are straining. And she feels trapped between rising costs and frozen prices.

It is not a child’s play to run a business while studying for a degree. But when the transport system designed to help becomes a hindrance, frustration boils over.

‘I Stood At The Bus Stop For 15 Minutes Without Seeing A Bus’

The experience is similar for Oladele Adejumoke, a student marketer who deals in perfumes and fashion accessories on campus. She lives close to the school gate, which makes getting to campus easier than for most. But movement within the campus? That is a different story entirely.

Adejumoke noted that during rush hours, buses are often unavailable or overcrowded. The tickets may be affordable, but boarding the bus can be a war of attrition.

“The tickets are affordable, but boarding the bus can be very stressful during rush hour. There was a day I was going to Mozambique Hall and I stood at the bus stop for more than 15 minutes without seeing a bus,” she said.

Fifteen minutes may not sound like much to someone reading a newspaper. But for a student marketer, fifteen minutes is time lost. Time that could have been used to meet customers, advertise products, and close sales. In the world of campus business, time is literally money.

Akahi News had earlier reported that OAU management recently shut down academic activities following student protests over transportation and welfare concerns. That shutdown has since been a subject of heated debate. But even before the shutdown, the transport system itself was already squeezing student entrepreneurs.

Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences

The experiences of Deborah and Adejumoke suggest a pattern. The new transport system may be affordable. It may have been introduced with good intentions. But it has also slowed down the daily business activities of many student entrepreneurs.

Delays. Long waiting times. The stress of moving goods across campus with limited bus availability. These are now part of the daily realities that student business owners are adjusting to. Some are adjusting poorly. Others are barely hanging on.

For student entrepreneurs in OAU, movement is more than convenience. It is an integral part of their means of livelihood. When a transport system fails to account for the needs of students who carry goods — not just backpacks — it fails a significant segment of the campus population.

What is the solution? Perhaps dedicated buses for students with goods. Perhaps priority boarding during off-peak hours. Perhaps a separate schedule for entrepreneurs who need to move products, not just persons. But so far, no such accommodations have been announced.

Here is the philosophical reflection that lingers: A university is not just a factory for certificates. It is a living ecosystem where students learn, live, work, and trade. When a transport system ignores the traders, it ignores a vital part of that ecosystem. OAU management may have solved one problem — disorderly movement — but they have created another: economic paralysis for student entrepreneurs.

Until the system evolves to serve all students, not just those without goods to carry, the complaints will continue. And the profits will keep shrinking.

Key Summary Box: What You Need To Know

• The Problem: OAU’s new transport system, while affordable and organised, has created delays and long waiting times that hurt student entrepreneurs who depend on moving goods and meeting customers.

• Who Is Affected: Student business owners selling food items, clothing materials, perfumes, fashion accessories, and other products across campus.

• Deborah’s Story: Sells beans, locust beans, dried fish, and clothing. Lives far from campus. Says delivery delays have dropped her profits. Cannot raise prices for fear of losing customers.

• Adejumoke’s Story: Deals in perfumes and fashion accessories. Lives near school gate but still struggles with campus movement. Once waited over 15 minutes for a bus to Mozambique Hall.

• The Core Issue: Time lost at bus stops translates directly into lost sales, delayed deliveries, dissatisfied customers, and reduced income.

• The Irony: A system designed for convenience has become a bottleneck for student entrepreneurs whose livelihoods depend on timely movement.

• What Is Needed: Possible solutions include dedicated buses for students with goods, priority boarding during off-peak hours, or a separate schedule for entrepreneurs moving products.

• The Bigger Picture: Universities are economic ecosystems. Transport policies that ignore student traders ignore a vital part of campus life.

• What to Watch: Will OAU management engage student entrepreneurs to understand their unique transport needs? Or will the system remain one-size-fits-none for business owners?

— Akahi News will continue to follow the impact of OAU’s transport policies on student entrepreneurs. For more stories on campus life and student business, stay tuned to Akahi News.