How New Transport System Is Affecting Student Entrepreneurs and Marketers in OAU

Adetunji Sade

The introduction of the new transport system in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) was designed to make movement across the large campus more organised and convenient for students and staff. However, while the system has brought some structure to transportation, it has also created new challenges for student entrepreneurs and marketers whose daily income depends largely on easy movement around the campus.

For many student business owners, transportation goes beyond attending lectures or moving from one point to another. It is directly linked to how smoothly their businesses operate and how much profit they are able to make daily.

Olufayo Deborah, a student entrepreneur who trades in packaged food items and clothing materials, said the new transport system has affected her business operations. Deborah sells food condiments such as beans, locust beans, dried fish, and other edible items stored neatly in containers, alongside different types of clothes and materials.

According to her, living far from campus is already stressful, and the situation within the school’s transport system has added to the daily challenges she faces in running her business.

“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 said.

Deborah explained that her business depends heavily on timely delivery of orders to students in different hostels across campus. She noted that delays in movement now mean delayed service, dissatisfied customers, and reduced sales, affecting both her income and customer relationship.

The experience is similar for Oladele Adejumoke, a student marketer who deals in perfumes and fashion accessories on campus.

Although she said living close to the school gate makes getting to campus easier, she noted that movement within the campus remains a challenge, especially during rush hours when buses are often unavailable or overcrowded.

“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.

For marketers like Adejumoke, time is a major part of business. Long waiting periods at bus stops reduce the time available to meet customers, advertise products, and make sales.

The experiences of these students suggest that while the transport system may be affordable and introduced with good intentions, it has also slowed down the daily business activities of some student entrepreneurs.

Delays, long waiting times, and the stress of moving goods across campus are now part of the realities many student business owners are adjusting to.

For student entrepreneurs in OAU, movement is more than convenience; it is an important part of their means of livelihood.