The Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka campus, has formally taken possession of a 522 bed-space prototype hostel built by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Performing the handover ceremony, the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said that the state-of-the-art hostel would help to ease the over-crowding of existing hostels in the university.

He said that the university took a wise decision to reserve the new hostel for female students to save them from the dangers and risks associated with living off-campus. “I am happy that the female students now have the opportunity of living in a safe environment,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Eric Arubayi, said he was delighted that Dr. Uduaghan came personally to commission the ultra-modern hall of residence for female students, built and furnished by the NDDC.

The Vice Chancellor’s speech read by Prof. Chukwuemeka Aloamaka, the Deputy Vice chancellor Administration, said: “I must commend the NDDC for coming to the aid of the university by building and furnishing this hall of residence. The imperative of accommodation for students remain a big challenge and the NDDC has done noble in helping us. This gesture will go a long way in alleviating the plight of our students, boost their academic performance and make them better students and better citizens of Nigeria.”

Professor Aloamaka said that the NDDC had been responsive as an interventionist agency. He said that some of the projects undertaken by the commission in the university included environmental research laboratories; 5 lecture halls; 500KVA generator for Oleh Campus, academic staff offices for 40 lecturers, 90-pole solar street light; business education centre, as well as roads and electricity projects.

In his address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), Sir (Barr) Bassey Dan-Abia, said that when the fourth Governing Board of the NDDC was inaugurated last year, President Goodluck Jonathan emphasized to the Board to give more attention to the completion of on-going projects and programmes. “In line with that directive, this Board vigorously pursued the target of completing on-going projects and programmes in addition to building capacity among our youths and women.”

According to Bassey Dan-Abia, “one of the results of these efforts is the completion of this strategic prototype university hostel. The hostel comprises of a single block of three floors, totaling 174 rooms, with facilities such as shops, potters lodge, students lounge, cybercafé, provision of water works, landscaping etc.” He said that the Abraka hostel was the fourth university hostel to be inaugurated by the NDDC in the last one year, noting that 7 more would soon be completed and handed over.

Bassey Dan-Abia said that the present NDDC is now more poised in collaborating with various state governments, not only to transform the Niger Delta region through infrastructural projects, but also to transform the lives of the people through the implementation of human capacity and empowerment programmes.

Source: NDDC