Adetunji Oluwafemi
Across universities in Nigeria — and indeed, around the world — sport and social life form a central part of campus culture. Beyond the lecture halls, these activities offer students a much-needed escape from academic pressures, while fostering friendships, building networks across disciplines, and serving as a fertile ground for talent discovery and career opportunities.
For some, participation in sports or social events is not just about recreation — it can be a lifeline. Talented student-athletes often earn sponsorships from sports organizations and agencies, opening doors to competitions, professional training, and scholarships that ease the financial burden of university life.
The benefits extend beyond athletics. Campus social life has propelled many students — from models to performing artists — into national and even global recognition. Talent shows, cultural festivals, and creative competitions often attract the attention of promoters, mentors, and industry influencers eager to nurture the next big name.
At Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, for example, the story of Chidozie Ugochinyere — better known by her stage name, Fave — is a testament to this potential. The law graduate and now one of Nigeria’s rising music stars captured national and international attention while still a student, balancing her studies with her growing career. And she is not alone. Across the OAU campus, student performers continue to shine at local and national talent hunts, seizing every opportunity to showcase their skills.
On campuses like OAU, sport and social life are more than extracurricular activities — they are platforms that can transform lives, shaping not just memorable student experiences, but also future careers.
Although, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is known for “SPORT AND STRUGGLE,” and it is evident that the struggle is all inclusive, however, is the Sport really all inclusive, especially for disabled students.
OAU, like other federal universities, has a number of special students (students with disabilities), however, not so many (if at all they do) of these students are so privileged to access a few of the facilities and platforms available for students of the university, as a result of their impairment.
Looking at their engagement in sport and social life, not all sports activities on OAU campus accommodate students with disabilities, many of them are as well are totally left out of social events.
The facilities available are not even adequate for the population of students who are interested in utilizing them, no special sport facilities were made available for disabled students, this has then forced many of them to shy away from the sport and social life on campus.
Speaking about the social life and participation in sport activities of students l with disabilities on OAU campus, Ogunsekan Ismail Adewale, a visually impaired final year of the Department of Educational Foundations and Counseling, emphasized the potential benefits of active participation in sport for the overall health conditions of individuals.
He further explained the much pleasure he derived in playing football, before being offered an admission into OAU. Meanwhile, his passion for football went into extinction upon his resumption to the university, as the university does not proffer the type of ball (audible ball) played by the visually impaired individuals.
He however noted that the only way through which he now engages in sport activities on campus is through his active participation in sport discussions in various ways. He concluded that there are no facilities that enable all-inclusive sport engagement on OAU campus, the management and concerned stakeholders should look into it, as sport and social life of a student are sacrosanct and must be given priority.
Pelumi Oluwayinmika (photo Credit, Pelumi Oluwayimika)
In an interview with the Director of Sport, Great Ife Students’ Union, Pelumi Oluwayimika (DaGreat), he affirms that there were neither special facilities related to sports activities available for students with disabilities on OAU campus, nor special sports created for them to participate.
However, his office agenda still remains all-inclusive as any activities anchored by his office are always made open to all students on campus, irrespective of their status or abilities.
DaGreat added that all sports activities on campus in his administration are open for all, including students living with disabilities, they can always participate in whatever sport activities of their choice.
Over view of OAU Sport complex
A survey to the Sport Complex of the Obafemi Awolowo University in the evening hours of Monday, 9th June, 2025 revealed that, not a single disabled student participates in the numerous sport activities available on the campus, and this stems from the fact that the required equipments that would better enhance their participation are nowhere to be found.
This has in turn affected their participation in sport negatively, resulting in their restrictions to academic rigor and lack of social life. Sport helps to improve one’s overall health conditions, leaving the disabled students out is somewhat a subtle discrimination.
The management should encourage an all-inclusive sport participation on OAU campus and across other institutions. Government and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) attention are as also called to help save the social and sport life of disabled students, since education is for all, these twos are inevitable in campus life
#Adetunji Oluwafemi a campus journalist at Obafemi Awolowo University is a fellow of Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals’ 2025 Disability and Inclusion Reporting media fellowship run in conjunction with Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa
