Student enrolment in Delta State-owned universities has more than doubled in three years, rising from about 50,000 in 2023 to over 100,000 in 2026, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has said.
Oborevwori disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba while swearing in the state Auditor-General, Emasogbe Matthew Oghene, and inaugurating governing councils for three state-owned universities.
He also announced new salary structures for academic staff of the state’s four universities, effective from August 2026, while the new structure for non-academic staff and workers in other state-owned tertiary institutions will take effect from September.
The governor said the increase in enrolment reflected the expansion of academic programmes in the institutions, including professional courses such as medicine, law, nursing and accounting.
He said the universities had also maintained uninterrupted academic calendars without staff strikes or student unrest for 17 years.
Oborevwori described Delta as an emerging education hub and charged the newly inaugurated councils to strengthen the administration and management of the institutions.
He urged the councils to ensure transparency and accountability and comply with the laws establishing the universities.
The governor also directed the councils to maintain zero tolerance for sexual harassment, examination malpractice, cultism, favouritism and corruption.
On funding, Oborevwori said government would continue to support tertiary education within available resources but warned that the institutions must look beyond government allocations.
“It is unrealistic and unsustainable for a university to rely solely on government funding,” he said.
He therefore urged the councils to seek partnerships with the private sector and other sources of funding to improve infrastructure and academic standards.
The governor also disclosed that his administration had approved two hostels for each of the nine state-owned tertiary institutions.
He said each hostel would accommodate 480 students, adding that the councils must ensure that available resources were used effectively to make the institutions competitive nationally and internationally.
Speaking on behalf of the appointees, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Dennis Osadebay University Governing Council, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, thanked the governor for the appointments.
Muoboghare called for the establishment of a Higher Education Endowment Fund to provide sustainable funding for tertiary institutions.
He also urged individuals and organisations to partner with the government in providing hostels, staff accommodation, lecture halls and faculty buildings.
The governing council of the University of Delta, Agbor, is chaired by Prof. Victor Peretomode, while Muoboghare chairs the Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, council and Chief Godson Echegile chairs the Southern Delta University, Ozoro council.
The state government constituted the councils in August.
The governor also charged the newly sworn-in Auditor-General to discharge his duties with transparency, professionalism and fairness.
He warned against political witch-hunting and deliberate cover-up in the discharge of the office.
