Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has strengthened his administration’s education drive with the commissioning of key academic facilities at the University of Delta (UNIDEL), underscoring a sustained commitment to widening access to quality higher education.
At the Owa-Alero Campus, the governor inaugurated the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences Complex, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences building, the Faculty of Engineering Lecture Hall and Workshops, a 500-seater central auditorium and a fully equipped central library.
Describing the ceremony as a “harvest of projects,” Oborevwori said the expansion reflects deliberate efforts to build institutional capacity and create opportunities for more young people to pursue university education within the state.
As former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, he was part of the legislative process that led to the establishment of three state universities in one day — University of Delta, Dennis Osadebay University and Southern Delta University — a move aimed at addressing admission shortfalls that had left thousands of qualified applicants without placement annually.
Today, UNIDEL accommodates about 17,000 students. Former governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who initiated the university project, noted that expanded access to tertiary education has helped reduce youth vulnerability and improve social stability.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Stella Chiemeke described the facilities as an investment in the state’s intellectual future, while the governor urged students to safeguard the infrastructure and strive for excellence.
Oborevwori also commended private sector support for education, highlighting Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited’s scholarship investments, and reiterated that sustainable development must integrate infrastructure, institutional reform and youth empowerment.
The administration maintains that strengthening universities remains central to building human capital and preparing Delta youths for a knowledge-driven economy.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.