Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has ordered the immediate rehabilitation of dilapidated public schools across the state, directing the Ministry of Works, the State Universal Basic Education Board and relevant agencies to commence emergency repairs of classroom blocks, roofs and other infrastructure that have fallen into disrepair.
The governor gave the directive on Friday, October 9, 2026, during an inspection tour of selected schools in Delta North Senatorial District, where he assessed the condition of facilities and expressed displeasure at the state of some of the buildings. According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, Oborevwori visited schools in Oshimili North, Oshimili South and Aniocha North Local Government Areas, where he inspected classroom blocks, administrative buildings, toilets and perimeter fencing. The governor said the condition of some of the schools was unacceptable and directed that rehabilitation work should commence immediately, with a timeline for completion.
"The condition of some of these schools is not acceptable. Our children deserve a conducive learning environment, and we cannot continue to pay lip service to the welfare of our future leaders. I have directed the Ministry of Works and SUBEB to move to site immediately and ensure that these schools are restored to acceptable standards," Oborevwori said. He said the state government would not tolerate a situation where pupils were forced to learn under leaking roofs, sit on broken desks or use dilapidated toilets, stressing that such conditions were inimical to effective teaching and learning. He directed that the rehabilitation should cover roofing, plumbing, electrical installations, furniture and painting, and that the work should be completed before the end of the year.
The governor also directed the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu, and the Chairman of SUBEB, Mrs Christiana Egbogbo, to conduct a comprehensive audit of all public primary and secondary schools in the state to determine the extent of infrastructure decay and prioritise interventions. He said the audit would provide the data needed for planning and budgeting for school infrastructure in the 2027 fiscal year. "We need to know the exact state of our schools. We cannot plan effectively without data. The audit will tell us where the greatest needs are and how to allocate resources accordingly," he said.
The inspection tour took Oborevwori to Oshimili North, where he visited Ogwashi-Uku Mixed Secondary School and Issele-Uku Grammar School. At Issele-Uku Grammar School, the governor observed leaking roofs in two classroom blocks, broken furniture and poor sanitary facilities. He directed the contractor handling the school's renovation to return to site immediately and complete the work, warning that the government would not accept substandard jobs. "We will not pay for jobs that are not done to specification. The contractor must return to site and finish what was started," he said. At Oshimili South, the governor visited Okpanam High School, where he inspected a newly constructed block of classrooms and directed that the old blocks be renovated to complement the new structure. In Aniocha North, he visited Issele-Mkpitime Primary School, where he ordered the immediate repair of the school's borehole and toilet facilities.
The governor's intervention comes amid growing concern over the state of public education infrastructure in Delta State, where many schools built decades ago have not received significant maintenance. A survey conducted by the State Ministry of Education in 2025 found that over 40 per cent of public primary and secondary schools in the state required urgent rehabilitation, with roofing, flooring, furniture and sanitary facilities identified as the most pressing needs. The survey also found that some schools had been operating without functional libraries, laboratories or ICT facilities, and that many were overcrowded. The state government has invested in education in recent years, including the recruitment of over 2,000 teachers and the construction of new classroom blocks, but the scale of the infrastructure deficit has outpaced the pace of intervention.
The governor used the occasion to reiterate his administration's commitment to education under the MORE Agenda, the state's development blueprint, which prioritises meaningful development, opportunities for all, realistic reforms and enhanced peace and security. He said education remained the foundation of human capital development and that his administration would continue to invest in infrastructure, teacher training and learning materials. "Education is the bedrock of development. We are committed to ensuring that every child in Delta State has access to quality education in a conducive environment," he said. He also urged communities, parents and alumni associations to take ownership of public schools and support the government's efforts to maintain and protect school infrastructure.
The political context of the governor's directive is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Oborevwori, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but has since aligned with the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, is expected to seek a second term. Education has emerged as a key issue in the campaign, and the governor's decision to inspect schools personally and issue directives on the spot reflects a determination to demonstrate responsiveness and delivery. The state government has consistently pointed to its investments in education as evidence of its commitment to human capital development, and the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools is likely to feature prominently in its campaign messaging.
For the pupils and teachers in the affected schools, the governor's directive offers the prospect of improved learning conditions in the coming months. For the contractors and agencies tasked with the rehabilitation, the directive sets a clear timeline and an expectation of quality work. For the people of Delta State, the inspection tour is a reminder that the government is accountable for the condition of public infrastructure and that the governor has committed himself to addressing the decay. As Oborevwori put it, the condition of some of these schools is not acceptable, and the rehabilitation must commence immediately. The coming weeks will determine whether the directives translate into tangible improvements in the classrooms where Delta's children learn, and whether the audit produces the data needed to sustain investment in school infrastructure beyond the current emergency repairs.
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