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             Adedoyin Onajobi  As early as 5:30 a.m. on a daily basis, Zuco, a final year student from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Recreation (KHR), who is also the captain of the OAU Handball team, is already awake or at least preparing to be. Zuco sometimes finds it difficult to get up, but by or before 6 a.m., he is already on his feet, rushing to be ready 15 minutes before his 7 a.m. lecture. So, by or before 11 p.m., he will finally fall asleep, till tomorrow where he follows the same routine. Zuco’s reality is not unusual at Obafemi Awolowo University.  Across different Faculties and Departments, a number of students live a somewhat “double life,” in that they attend lectures, write exams, and still represent themselves, their department, faculty and even the university on the pitch, court, and pool, simultaneously. Findings revealed a 64.2% sport participation prevalence among Nigerian undergraduate students,...

          Taiwo Adelusi The ongoing mid-semester break announced by the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, in response to a peaceful demonstration by the students over the new transport system in the university, has left a number of students with more questions than answers. While academic activities have been suspended for three weeks, the core issue that sparked the protest remains unresolved. Students initially took to protest the newly adopted transport system, which they described as inconvenient, overcrowding, costly, time consuming and unsuitable especially for students living off campus.  ”We want any transport system that speaks convenience, we will not accept inconvenience.” Ayomide, a student from the Faculty of Administration. Another student, Kehinde, from the Faculty of Technology suggested that enough buses should be provided, either CNG or what-have-you. The students’ demands during the protest were clear; either a return ...

            Michael Olawuyi & Fawaz Adedeji  It was a tense Tuesday morning at Obafemi Awolowo University, as students took to the streets, effectively barricading the Campus Gate in “ an orderly and non-violent protests.”  The Great Ife Students trooped out en masse to challenge the atmospheric situation of new anti-students transportation policy to disapprove of persistent existence of long queues that has resulted in a state of pandemonium in the University community. Recall that the ICONS Organization reported that, the Union, on their resolutions of the Congress held yesterday at Awo Hall, was to stage a peaceful demonstration today at campus gate, with campus gate blockage until our demands on the new transport system are met. Reacting to this, the management warned that the students should know that the protest and barricading the entrances leading to campus is a “criminal action,” since it infringes on the liberty of moveme...

             Michael Olawuyi & Blessed Elemikan ‎At exactly 5:46 p.m. on Monday 27 April, the atmosphere of the emergency Congress held at the Awo Hall Cafe was quite intense, following the opening prayer by Congressman Velocity and Longman, and an apology from the Union President for starting slightly behind schedule. This was immediately followed by a poignant moment of silence for a recently deceased Part 4 student of the College of Health Sciences, the focus then shifted rapidly to the living and the hardship students now forcefully endure daily, as a result of the new transport system. ‎Although there were mentions of the current Awo Hall evacuation crisis and the death of the medical student formerly mentioned, the central theme of the Congress was the transition from a boycott to a demonstration. Congressman Tolu suggested a peaceful protest for Tuesday morning, to compel the management to take student demands seriously. The Unio...

          John Alabi The recent development which arise in Obafemi Awolowo Hall Residence last night, it was revealed by the Hall executives of the proposed renovation of Block 7 and Block 8, and occupants of these concerned blocks are instructed to vacate their rooms between Friday, 24 April and Monday, 27 April.  This announcement got intense reactions from these affected students and every member of Awo Hall, and a peaceful demonstration was organised last night as well to pass a message that the school management's move is unacceptable. To further gather views and opinions of the occupants especially the occupants of Block 7 and 8 , an impromptu meeting was called at Awo cafe tonight where the occupants of this Hall of Residence met this move by the school management's as insensitive and an oppressive move that doesn't offer a room for dialogue and prior notice.  Taking into account how students welfarism has been neglected and ...

                John Alabi  In the late hours of Thursday, 23 April, the Chairman of the Awolowo Hall of Residence, Lateef Akeem, and a few other executives of the hall, announced the proposed renovation of certain blocks in the hall, which they say would come with an immediate eviction of the residents of these blocks, effective from Friday, 24th April. According to the Chairman, the directive came directly from the Division of Students Affairs (DSA), mandating an eviction of all residents of Block 7 and 8 of the hall, respectively. The renovation, he further explained, is set to commence on Monday, 27 April, however, the mandatory eviction must be compulsory by tomorrow.  This announcement was met with great dissatisfaction, displeasure, mixed reactions and responses from the residents, particularly the affected students, who described the announcement as an impromptu, unplanned and unreasonable move, referencing how the Un...

               Fawas Adedeji and Michael Olawuyi Following the  “one week observatory mode” review of the new transport policy deliberations at the GreatIfe Students’ Union Congress, held on Friday, 9 April at Fajuyi Hall Cafe, the union has taken proactive actions towards the grievances of the students. The information about the lecture boycott was contained in an official release by the Union, declaring a 72 hour boycott of all lectures, effective from tomorrow, Tuesday, 14 April, as a direct response to the “severe conditions” imposed by the university’s new transport system on its students. There had been critical opprobrium of Union matters on the new transport crisis, its uncertainties and frustrations by the GreatIfe students, before the Union eventually decided to call the management to order to yield to the complaints of the affected students, by providing more adequate transport facilities to cater for the students on an...

                    Ezekiel Ogunniyi  Following the tense Asake’s helicopter incident at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, during his visit, which later erupted into a social media debate, over aviation safety and use of force on students within their school premises, a consensus has finally been reached by both the affected student and the pilot, including its aviation company. Recall that the ICONS Organizations recently reported that days after the Students' Union released a statement about the incident, the legal representatives of the student, wrote to Elin Air and Aviation Services Limited, accusing one of its pilots of physically assaulting the student, Ajibade Omotayo, during the artist’s visit to his alma mater. According to the petition dated December 24, 2025, the incident occurred on December 22 at the OAU Sports Complex, where a helicopter operated by Elin Air had landed upon Asake’s arrival. The student ...

        Ezekiel Ogunniyi In OAU, what was supposed to be a moment of pride and excitement for the students took a disturbing turn on Monday, 22 December, when a student was physically assaulted by a pilot attached to the helicopter that conveyed the popular Nigerian artiste and OAU alumnus, Ahmed Ololade, better known as Asake, during his visit to his alma mater. Asake’s visit, which was organized by the Department of Dramatic Arts, had drawn the attention of students of the university. For many, it was more than seeing a celebrity, it was about witnessing someone who once sat in the same classroom return home safely. At the Sports Complex, students gathered with phones in their hands, hoping to catch a glimpse and take pictures and videos of the artist’s chopper landing, before he departed to the venue. Ajibade Omotayo, a student who, like others present, was simply caught up in the excitement of the moment, however, the aftermath shocked the campus comm...

         Araoluwa Adeleke  The ICAN Lecture Theatre of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has continued to attract attention from students over its physical condition, with many describing the facility as unsuitable for effective teaching and learning. The lecture theatre remains in regular use for academic activities across different departments despite longstanding complaints about its state. Observations at the venue show that several of its basic facilities, including chairs, tables, fans, and lighting, are either inadequate or poorly maintained. Students who attend lectures there say these conditions have existed for several academic sessions and have shown little visible change over time.         Non-functional bulbs, fans, AC and Speaker in the ICAN LT  During lectures held at the theatre, many students are seen struggling with limited seating space and a shortage of functional tables. Worn-out chairs an...

              Blessed Elemikan  Residents of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) Hall of Residence at Obafemi Awolowo University, have raised concerns over persistent water scarcity in the hostel, describing the situation as inconvenient and exhausting. Speaking with our correspondence, several residents recounted their daily struggle to access water. Jamal, a resident of the hall, said the problem has become hereditary for all residents of the hall. “I stayed in this same hostel last session and I experienced the same. I don’t know the way forward, but there are people who can help us solve the issue. Maybe they are not ready to do it. I’ve been to Awo and other halls, and I can say the worse of all remains ETF,” he lamented. Another resident,   Enoch, expressed similar frustration, noting that nothing had changed since last session despite repeated complaints. “ The hall management should provide a functioning borehole system. Th...

         Oyinlade Adeyemi Across the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife campus, the increasing cost of living on campus is no longer just an abstract economic concept, rather, it has become an unavoidable aspect of the students’ daily lives, dictating the choices they must make to survive each day. However, to what extent does it affect their food choices, transportation, welfare, and overall survival?  To understand this reality and in order to have a well-rounded perspective as to why “on-campus” cost of living remains super-expensive, the ICONS correspondent engaged with both traders and students in an interview to this effect. Meanwhile, repeated attempts to speak with the Students’Union Welfare Director were unsuccessful, leaving students’ questions on official welfare support unanswered for now. The interviews conducted with the women at the OAU New Market uncover deeper aspects of their struggles, as they did not hold back in explaining ...

        Ezekiel Ogunniyi  Tension has heightened among newly admitted students and aspirants of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, following the release of the lectures timetable for CHM 103 (Introductory Experimental Chemistry I), which announced that practicals will begin on Monday, 3rd November. The development has sparked mixed reactions among the freshers, as the university recently joined the ongoing two-week warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Several fresh students expressed confusion and frustration over the announcement, especially since many of them only received their admission letters within just 24 hours before the release. For weeks, most had been stuck on the “Admission in Progress (AIP)” status — a situation that delayed the resumption earlier slated for 11th October.               CHM 103 2024/25 academic session practical schedule  While...

        Eniola Adeyeye & Adelusi Taiwo "Great Ife is not for thuggery. Great Ife is not for violence. Great Ife is for peace, justice, and all." With these powerful closing words, the Great Ife Students’ Union Electoral Commission and the Election Petitions Committee affirmed their commitment to a peaceful, democratic campus community in a statement released on Wednesday, 18th June 2025, condemning the recent violent attack on Hon. Fatoyinbo Azeez, Chairman of the Union’s Transport Management Committee and other students. READ ALSO: Great Ife Election Season Begins: Campaign Ban Lifted, Official Timetable Released The electoral petition committee assured the student body that they stand firmly with the victims and will not relent until justice is served through proper Union procedures and the university’s regulatory framework. The releases stressed that the Union must remain a citadel of progress, unity, and intellectual engagement, free from violence...

  Adetunji Oluwafemi and Ezekiel Ogunniyi  The recent peaceful demonstration that led to the arrest of two students from Obafemi Awolowo University on Thursday, June 5, during the visit of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has spread like wildfire, resulting in controversy within the campus community and on various social media platforms. Reports from both campus-based and mainstream media outlets claim that the students were forced out of Oduduwa Hall for raising placards and disrupting the public lecture titled “The Nigeria of Our Dreams,” which was presented by the Minister of the FCT.   The students in question are Oladepo Joshua, a final-year student from the Department of Political Science, and Ejike Kelechi, a 200-level student from the Department of Psychology. In a bid to unravel the cause of the arrest and its aftermath, Icons correspondents engaged one of the students in an exclusive interview. READ ALSO: Rising Worries Ab...

By Israel Bakare  ETF Hall of Residence suffers from issues with broken chambers and pipes, leading to faeces littering the ground and polluting the environment. A resident of ETF, Emmanuel from Biochemistry, stated, "It has been a month since the chamber at the back of Block 3 has been spoilt, and two weeks since the one at the back of Block 5 got spoilt. The damaged chambers and broken pipes leak faeces onto the ground." He further stated, "The management have come to check the one at the back of Block 3, but since then, nothing has been done about it." Another resident of ETF, Comrade Enoch, said, "I saw the leaking faeces at the back of Block 5 yesterday, but people said it has been there for a while. The one at Block 3 has been there for almost three months." READ ALSO: We Are Not Safe: Students Cry Out as Robbers Strike Moremi Estate Again Despite Increasing Outrage There are reported cases of broken soakaway covers and poorly...

By  Kehinde Ayodele  For the second time in one month, students residing in Moremi Estate have taken to the streets in protest after another violent robbery swept through the estate in the early hours of Monday morning, May 19th. This marks the seventh time robbers have attacked the student populated neighborhood in recent times, leaving residents traumatized, fearful, and frustrated. According to eyewitnesses, the robbers struck around 1:00AM, breaking into a hostel and leaving at one person severely injured. The alarm was first raised through a group chat created after the initial protest. However, the attackers had already escaped before police or security could respond. Shockingly, students reported that the night guards on duty had locked themselves inside a toilet during the incident. A resident said, “The robbers came with guns, cutlasses, and axes. They did not even bother to cover their faces, They broke through an iron door in my hostel and beat my neighb...

Ezekiel Ogunniyi  & Subomi Omonijo At the beginning of the rain semester, it was observed that traders who sell items around the academic and residential areas on campus were asked by the school management to vacate those areas. To confirm the information and understand the reasons and impact, The Icons Organization conducted interviews with both traders and students on campus. A trader, who requested anonymity, confirmed the information and explained that the school authority took action following an incident in which a trader was allegedly found distributing onions in the basement area. Although she was not present during the incident, she stated that it was the reason they were instructed to cease selling. Another trader corroborated this, affirming that it was indeed the reason for the sales ban. READ ALSO: With Less Than Three Months Remaining in the Session, SRC Finally Ratifies Committees She further elaborated on how this situation has affected her. Her sho...