OWA-ALERO/Nigeria: In a move aimed at strengthening tertiary education in Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has inaugurated key academic structures at the University of Delta, Owa-Alero, highlighting his administration’s focus on educational expansion and capacity building.
The newly opened facilities include a management and social sciences complex, environmental sciences faculty block, engineering lecture halls and workshops, a 500-capacity auditorium and a central library designed to meet modern academic standards.
Speaking at the ceremony in Ika North-East Local Government Area, the governor described the projects as a “harvest of investments” reflecting deliberate efforts to build world-class learning environments and strengthen human capital development. He noted that although his administration is widely recognised for roads, bridges and flyovers, equal priority is being given to education and health.
“Education remains the most powerful tool for transformation. When we invest in infrastructure, we invest in people. These facilities are designed to foster innovation, research, entrepreneurship and practical skills development,” he said.
Oborevwori urged students to make responsible use of the facilities and protect them from vandalism, stressing that discipline, creativity and integrity must guide their academic pursuits. According to him, government’s objective is to equip graduates not only for employment but for enterprise in a rapidly evolving knowledge-driven economy.
The governor recalled his involvement in legislative processes that led to the creation of additional state universities during his tenure as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, explaining that the expansion became necessary due to limited admission quotas approved by the National Universities Commission for Delta State University, which left thousands of qualified candidates without placement annually.
“At a time, over 25,000 students qualified for admission, but only about 5,000 slots were available. We had to act, and today that vision is proving worthwhile,” he said, while commending the previous administration and regulatory authorities for facilitating approvals for the institutions established on the same day.
Former governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who attended the event, praised Oborevwori for sustaining and expanding the state’s higher-education development agenda. He noted that the university alone now accommodates about 15,000 students, adding that expanding access to tertiary education contributes significantly to youth empowerment and social stability.
Commissioner for Higher Education Nyerhovwo Tonukari said the Sheriff Oborevwori Complex housing the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences was completed in 2025 and contains a 250-seat auditorium, lecture rooms, offices, a student resource centre and media facilities. He added that the Environmental Sciences complex, awarded in 2021 and completed under the current administration, includes two 250-seat auditoriums, four classrooms, studios, staff offices, a faculty library and a seminar room. The engineering complex features workshops for metalwork, carpentry, mechanics, welding and foundry practice, alongside a 200-capacity studio, while the central library seats 426 students and the main auditorium accommodates 500.
Vice-Chancellor Stella Chiemeke described the projects as evidence of transformational leadership, noting that the new facilities would significantly expand the university’s capacity to train professionals in critical sectors needed for the state’s socio-economic growth. She added that naming the Management and Social Sciences Complex after the governor was in recognition of his contributions to the institution and education development.
Chairman of the council area, Monday Odigwe, commended the governor for what he termed balanced development across the state, saying the projects demonstrate practical implementation of the administration’s development agenda and its commitment to equitable infrastructure delivery.
