By Our Reporters
22, September 2026
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has approved a new salary structure for workers in the state’s tertiary institutions.
The Governor disclosed on Tuesday in Asaba that the new structure for academic staff of the four state-owned universities will take effect from August 2026, while that of non-academic staff and other tertiary institutions will commence in September 2026.
He made the announcement during the swearing-in of the new Auditor-General of the State, Mr. Emasogbe Matthew Oghene, and the inauguration of the Governing Councils of the University of Delta, Agbor; Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; and Southern Delta University, Ozoro.
Oborevwori said the four state-owned universities now run professional programmes including Medicine, Law, Nursing and Accounting, and that student enrolment has doubled from about 50,000 in 2023 to over 100,000 in 2026.
He added that the state university system has not recorded any disruption to academic calendar due to staff strike or student unrest in the last 17 years, noting that it reflects government’s commitment to stability in the education sector.
The Governor described Delta as an emerging education hub in Nigeria and said his administration is repositioning state-owned universities as centres of excellence.
He charged the newly inaugurated Governing Councils to strengthen corporate governance, improve efficiency and ensure sustainable growth, stressing that as the highest policy-making bodies, they must uphold regular meetings, collective responsibility, transparency and accountability in line with their enabling laws.
Oborevwori also directed the Councils to maintain zero tolerance for sexual harassment, examination malpractice, cultism, favouritism and corruption, and to enforce disciplinary measures where rules are breached.
While assuring that government will continue to support tertiary education within available resources, he cautioned that sole reliance on government funding is unrealistic and unsustainable.
“It is unrealistic and unsustainable for a university to rely solely on government funding,” he said, urging the Councils to market their institutions and attract private-sector investments.
He revealed that his administration has approved the construction of two hostels for each of the nine state-owned tertiary institutions, with each hostel having a capacity of 480 students, in addition to sustained investments in infrastructure and staff welfare.
He urged the Councils to build on existing progress and make the institutions more competitive nationally and internationally.
Oborevwori further charged the new Auditor-General, Mr. Emasogbe Matthew Oghene, to carry out his duties with transparency, courage, professionalism and fairness, warning against political witch-hunting and deliberate cover-up.
In his response on behalf of the appointees, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Dennis Osadebay University, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, thanked the Governor for the appointment and called for the establishment of a Higher Education Endowment Fund to ensure sustainable funding for tertiary institutions.
Muoboghare also called on well-meaning Deltans and Nigerians to support government through investments in hostels, staff quarters, lecture halls and faculty buildings, noting that government alone cannot provide all required infrastructure.
The three Councils, formally constituted in August, are chaired by distinguished academics and public servants: Prof. Victor Peretomode for University of Delta, Agbor; Prof. Patrick Muoboghare for Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; and Chief Godson Echegile for Southern Delta University, Ozoro.
