Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has approved a new salary structure for academic and non-academic staff of the state-owned universities and other tertiary institutions.
Oborevwori announced this on Tuesday in Asaba while inaugurating the governing councils of three state-owned universities and the state auditor-general.
He said the new salary structure for academic staff would take effect from August 2026, while that of non-academic staff and workers in other tertiary institutions would take effect from September.
The governor said the salary adjustment was part of his administration’s efforts to improve staff welfare and strengthen tertiary education in the state.
The newly inaugurated councils are chaired by Victor Peretomode for the University of Delta, Agbor; Patrick Muoboghare for Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; and Godson Echegile for Southern Delta University, Ozoro.
Oborevwori said the state’s four universities now offer professional courses including medicine, law, nursing and accounting.
He added that student enrolment across the universities had increased from about 50,000 in 2023 to more than 100,000 in 2026.
The governor also said the academic calendar of the state-owned universities had not been disrupted by staff strikes or student unrest for 17 years.
He described Delta as “an emerging education hub in Nigeria” and said his administration remained committed to repositioning the state-owned universities as centres of excellence.
Oborevwori charged the new governing councils to strengthen corporate governance, improve institutional efficiency and position the universities for sustainable growth.
He urged the councils to promote transparency, accountability and collective responsibility in their administration of the institutions.
The governor also directed the councils to ensure that cases of sexual harassment, examination malpractice, partiality and cultism were not tolerated in the universities.
The governing councils should ensure that cases of sexual harassment, examination malpractice, partiality, and cultism are not tolerated in our universities.
“Where instant laws or rules have been breached or circumvented, the council must not hesitate to mete out the necessary disciplinary measures,” he said.
He also stressed the need for fairness and justice in handling disciplinary matters involving staff.
Muoboghare, speaking on behalf of the appointees, thanked the governor for appointing them to oversee the institutions.
He called for the establishment of a Higher Education Endowment Fund to provide sustainable funding for tertiary institutions and enable them to compete globally.
Muoboghare also urged prominent citizens of Delta and Nigeria to partner with the government by investing in student hostels, staff accommodation, lecture halls and faculty buildings.
He said the government alone could not provide all the infrastructure required to develop the universities.
