Impact of New University of Ilorin Transport System on Undergraduate Students’ Academic Engagement

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the new transport system on students’ academic engagement at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). In recent times, persistent transport challenges such as long queues, insufficient shuttle buses, inconvenient schedules, and increased commuting stress have raised concerns about their effects on students’ academic participation. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 436 students selected across different levels of university for the study, employing a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and regression analysis. Findings revealed amongst others that, the transport system has a significant impact on academic engagement, indicating that inefficiencies in transportation negatively affect students’ punctuality, concentration, and participation in other academic activities. The study further showed that gender and level of study do not significantly influence academic engagement, suggesting that transport-related challenges affect students uniformly across demographic categories. In addition, transport challenges such as long waiting times, overcrowding, and stressful commuting conditions were found to significantly influence students’ academic engagement. The study concludes that while transport fares may be relatively affordable, operational inefficiencies within the transport system pose serious threats to students’ academic engagement. It therefore recommends amongst others improvements in transport infrastructure, increased shuttle capacity, efficient scheduling, and continuous monitoring of transport services to enhance students’ academic engagement and overall learning experience.