The Delta State Executive Council has approved the construction of new hostel blocks at state-owned tertiary institutions in response to growing concerns about a severe accommodation crisis affecting tens of thousands of students.
The decision, announced after the council meeting chaired by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, comes amid reports that over 40,000 students in the state’s higher education system are struggling to find on-campus accommodation.
In a briefing with journalists after the meeting, Commissioner for Higher Education, Nyerhovwo Tonukari, stated that the approval includes the construction of separate male and female hostel blocks in each of the nine state-owned tertiary institutions.
Tonukari described the initiative as a vital intervention, highlighting that the rapid increase in student enrolment has significantly outstripped available accommodation facilities.
According to him, the figures presented during recent convocation ceremonies at three of the state’s newly established universities indicated that these institutions currently host about 40,000 students.
He added that the situation is particularly difficult at Delta State University, Abraka, which has more than 35,000 students but hostel facilities that can accommodate only around 2,000 students.
“The newer universities have even fewer hostel spaces, in some cases only a few hundred beds, which makes the accommodation challenge even more severe,” Tonukari said.
The development highlights a longstanding infrastructure gap in Delta State’s tertiary education system, where many students have been forced to rely on expensive off-campus housing, often located far from campus and lacking adequate security.
Analysts say the pressure created by the rising student population has also fueled the proliferation of poorly regulated private hostels around university communities, raising concerns about safety, cost and welfare of students.
Tonukari said the newly approved hostel projects form part of the administration’s effort to ease the accommodation deficit and create a more conducive learning environment across the institutions.
In a related development, the council also approved the reconstruction and completion of the abandoned Senate Building project at DELSU, Abraka.
The project, originally awarded in 2010, had remained stalled for over a decade before the latest intervention by the state government.
“Today, that building has been approved for reconstruction and completion, which is very good news for the university,” Tonukari said.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Housing, Godknows Angele, assured that the Ministry of Housing would closely supervise the projects to ensure they are delivered on schedule and in line with approved specifications.
He said the ministry would work to guarantee efficient execution and timely completion.
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