By Heritage Ayoola
Newly admitted students at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have raised concerns over the difficulty of securing accommodation on campus. On Monday, November 11, 2024, the university opened its online portal for students to ballot for bed spaces in the hostels. However, within minutes, all spaces were filled, leaving many freshmen without a place to stay. This incident follows a similar occurrence on Monday, November 4, when the portal was opened for balloting, yet most freshmen who tried to ballot were unable to secure accommodation.
Accommodation Crisis: A Recurring Challenge
Accommodation issues on campus are not new. For years, the university has struggled to increase its accommodation capacity. However, with the growing number of admitted students and rising housing and transportation costs in Ile-Ife, the demand for limited on-campus spaces has intensified
The Great Ife Students’ Union recently tried to ease the burden by releasing a review of transport fares within the campus. Despite this, students staying off-campus still spend a significant amount on daily transportation. For instance, those in Lagere spend ₦600 daily, while students in Mayfair spend ₦500. Over a week, transport costs can add up to ₦3,000, which is a major expense for many students.
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| Current Transportation Fares By Bus on OAU Campus |
In August, the Association of Campus Journalists, OAU (ACJOAU), reported a hike in accommodation fees for hostels in the Maintenance area near the school. While the university has also increased on-campus accommodation fees from ₦30,000 to ₦50,000, the revised fees are still significantly lower than off-campus alternatives, with many students preferring on-campus accommodation to save on housing, transportation, and security costs.
Freshmen Share Their Ordeal
Speaking with one of the affected freshmen, Ibukunola, she lamented her unsuccessful attempts at securing accommodation despite trying twice. “I tried to ballot in the first week of November when the portal was opened, but it was displaying ‘hostel exhausted.’ The second time, I was on the portal around 9:57 a.m., but it was already showing ‘accommodation exhausted’ and logged me out a few minutes after 10:00 a.m.,” she said.
This unpleasant situation has made attending classes challenging for her. She further lamented, “Lectures have started in my department, and I am currently managing in PG Hall. An ultimatum was given that we should vacate the hostel by Friday, November 15. I am tired. They are supposed to make everything easier for freshers, but this is not good at all. Imagine someone coming from a far place and not having a place to stay.”
Jeremiah, another freshman, decried the stress of the entire balloting process. He described it as “an entire waste of time.” According to him, “I missed the first balloting, but during the second, the portal showed ‘accommodation exhausted’ by 10:01 a.m.” Unable to secure on-campus accommodation, Jeremiah now stays at Road 7, spending up to ₦900 daily on transportation. He also highlighted the unproductive hours spent in shuttle queues after lectures. “If there is no car and I have to trek, it affects my academics. The first time I had to trek the distance, I got to school very late. But when you don’t find a hostel on campus, what will you do?”
The plight of Emmanuel, another freshman, is slightly different. She was unable to pay her full school fees, which disqualified her from balloting for accommodation. “When I went to the hostel to meet the porters, they told me I cannot use half payment to ballot for a hostel,” she said. Having already resumed to school, Emmanuel is now forced to rent accommodation in town, which costs her ₦500 daily on transportation. “I will continue to manage the situation. I cannot participate in any other ballot process since I have not paid in full,” she added.
Samuel, a freshman in Surveying and Geoinformatics, described the balloting process as “tougher than he thought.” Despite paying his school fees in full and logging into the portal promptly at 10:00 a.m., he was met with the message, “male hostel exhausted.” Currently, Samuel stays in Mayfair with a friend and lamented how transportation expenses drain his finances. “Of the money they give me, transport fare takes everything away,” he said.
What Next for Freshers?
This ongoing accommodation problem is making life difficult for freshers who are trying to adjust to university life and attend classes. As the semester continues, students are hoping the school management will come up with a better solution to reduce their struggles.
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