By Mokobia Rita.
ASABA/Nigeria: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has unveiled a fresh package of measures aimed at strengthening staff welfare, student accommodation and institutional governance across Delta State-owned tertiary institutions.
The measures include a new salary structure for academic staff of the state’s four universities, effective from August 2026, as well as a corresponding package for non-academic workers and staff of other state-owned tertiary institutions from September.
Oborevwori announced the measures on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in Asaba during the swearing-in of the new Auditor-General of the state, Mr. Emasogbe Matthew Oghene, and the inauguration of governing councils for the University of Delta, Agbor; Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; and Southern Delta University, Ozoro.
The governor said the decisions were part of his administration’s continuing efforts to improve conditions in the state’s higher education system and strengthen the institutions as centres of learning and human capital development.
He said Delta’s universities had witnessed significant growth in recent years, with student enrolment rising from about 50,000 in 2023 to more than 100,000 in 2026.
According to him, the institutions have also expanded their academic programmes to accommodate professional courses including Medicine, Law, Nursing and Accounting.
Oborevwori said the expansion had increased the responsibilities of university managements and required stronger governance, improved infrastructure and better welfare for both staff and students.
He consequently charged the newly inaugurated governing councils to operate with transparency, accountability and collective responsibility, insisting that the universities must be administered in accordance with their respective enabling laws.
The governor also gave the councils a firm mandate to maintain zero tolerance for sexual harassment, examination malpractice, cultism, favouritism and corruption.
He urged the governing bodies to ensure that discipline and academic excellence remained central to the administration of the institutions.
Beyond government funding, Oborevwori challenged the universities to begin exploring additional sources of revenue and partnerships with the private sector.
He said reliance on government funding alone was no longer sustainable and urged the councils to market their institutions and attract investments capable of supporting their long-term development.
The governor said his administration was also responding to the accommodation needs created by the growing student population.
He disclosed that approval had been given for the construction of two hostels in each of Delta’s nine state-owned tertiary institutions, with each hostel designed to accommodate 480 students.
The initiative, according to him, would expand accommodation capacity as the institutions continue to record increased enrollment.
The governor further charged the university councils to build on the progress recorded so far and position their institutions to compete more effectively at national and international levels.
Earlier, Oborevwori administered the oath of office on the new Auditor-General, Mr. Emasogbe Matthew Oghene.
He charged the Auditor-General to discharge his responsibilities with professionalism, integrity, courage and fairness, while maintaining independence in the performance of his statutory duties.
Oborevwori warned against political witch-hunting and deliberate cover-up, stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in the state’s financial management.
Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated appointees, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Dennis Osadebay University, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, expressed appreciation to the governor for the confidence reposed in the councils.
Muoboghare called for the establishment of a Higher Education Endowment Fund as a sustainable financing mechanism for tertiary education in Delta.
He also urged well-meaning Deltans and corporate organisations to partner with the state government in addressing infrastructure gaps in the institutions, particularly in the areas of student hostels, lecture theatres and staff accommodation.
The governor’s latest interventions come as Delta continues to expand its state-owned tertiary education system, with increased enrolment placing additional demands on infrastructure, staffing, welfare and institutional management.
