EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, Warri
THE Delta State Government has earmarked over N100 billion for higher education, in what it describes as a bold investment in the future of tertiary education across the state.
The Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Johnbull Tonukari, disclosed this on Thursday, during the Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series at Southern Delta University, Orerokpe Campus.
Professor Tonukari said the allocation underscores Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s unwavering commitment to strengthening infrastructure, expanding access and improving the quality of tertiary institutions in Delta State.
“The budget for higher education is over N100 billion,” he said. “That money will be spent judiciously to improve tertiary institutions in Delta State.
This is because the government is very prudent and committed to delivering quality education.”
He revealed that student enrolment across the state’s nine tertiary institutions has risen significantly since the present administration assumed office, growing from approximately 55,000 to slightly above 100,000.
“When the Governor took office, the total number of students in the nine state-owned tertiary institutions was about 55,000. Today, we have slightly more than 100,000 students.
This growth is the result of the strategic educational reforms introduced by this administration,” Tonukari stated.
He further disclosed that nearly 1,000 academic and non-academic staff have been recruited to support the expansion.
Highlighting the importance of the Orerokpe Campus, the Commissioner described it as a flagship initiative of the Governor aimed at bringing tertiary education closer to the people.
“This Orerokpe Campus is the dream of our Governor. Immediately he assumed office, he was determined to establish a campus here to bring higher education closer to the people of Orerokpe.
Today, they have a modern campus that will benefit immensely from this investment,” he added.
Tonukari also commended the organisers of the Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, urging them to sustain the intellectual initiative.
Delivering a lecture titled Cultural Constellations and Intersections in Virtual Space, Professor Hope Eghagha of the Department of English, University of Lagos, called on students to harness digital platforms for cultural promotion and national development.
He urged young people to redirect their digital skills towards productive ventures, particularly content creation and cultural branding, rather than fraudulent activities.
“That smartphone you carry is an asset,” Eghagha said. “You can use it to create content and project yourselves to the world.
The virtual space has democratised access to knowledge and opportunity.”
He cited examples of students who finance their education through legitimate digital content creation and encouraged others to follow suit.
“Our young people are intelligent and creative. Imagine what they could achieve if they channelled that brilliance into legitimate enterprises.
You can become globally relevant through the content you create,” he noted.
Eghagha also advocated a hybrid model of education that integrates digital learning platforms such as Coursera, stressing that information is no longer confined to traditional library spaces.
“We must rethink development. The world is increasingly digital, and we need mentorship programmes to help our youths harness digital culture for sustainable development,” he said.
In his remarks, the Dean of the Postgraduate School, Delta State University, Abraka, Professor Sunny Awhefeada, observed that digital access has transformed academic research and expanded acceptable areas of scholarly inquiry.
“In my department, some PhD topics that would have been considered taboo a decade ago are now approved because of access to digital resources,” Awhefeada explained.
“Government at all levels must prioritise digital culture as part of national development planning.
Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind in the global digital transition.”
The lecture series brought together academics, students and policymakers, reinforcing the growing intersection between education, culture and digital innovation in Delta State’s development agenda.
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