The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has addressed the controversy surrounding a draft dress code document currently circulating on social media, stating that the policy has not yet been finalised or approved by the university’s governing council.
The widely circulated document outlines proposed penalties, including rustication, for students found guilty of infractions such as sagging trousers, dreadlocks, public kissing, tattoos, bum shorts, unkempt or sexually provocative outfits. It also prohibits public displays of affection, coloured hairstyles, hair braiding for male students, and clothing with obscene or suggestive inscriptions.
The draft has sparked widespread criticism among students and the general public, with many calling it a breach of constitutional rights and personal freedoms.
However, in a statement made to Premium Times on Thursday, 24th July 2025, the university’s spokesperson, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed that while a dress code is indeed being developed, the version in circulation is unofficial and still under internal review.
“We have not finalised so many things there, but some people just smuggled it out to alert the people,” Olarewaju stated. He emphasised that the intention behind the policy is to uphold the university’s commitment to excellence in character and learning—a phrase echoed on graduates’ certificates.
“There is no way somebody can be rewarded in learning and character without some degree of decency, particularly in the mode of dressing,” he added. “Once we are done with it, we will make it public so that our students, particularly, will know that in the university, there are ways you dress that will not insult the academic sensibilities and moral sanctity of others.”
The university has assured stakeholders that due process will be followed in finalising the policy and that students will be properly informed once it is officially adopted.
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