CDHR TO Oborevwori: Slash School Fees Before 2026/27 Session — Rising Costs Could Push Delta Students Into Crime, Prostitution

By Ezekiel Kagbala

ASABA — The Delta State Branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently subsidize tuition and other charges for indigenous students in state-owned tertiary institutions ahead of the 2026/2027 academic session.

The human rights body, in a statement signed by its Delta State Chairman, Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Godswill Nosa Overseey, urged the state government to use part of its increased federal allocations to reduce the financial burden on Delta students.

CDHR said education must not become a luxury, particularly for children of communities whose land and natural resources contribute significantly to the nation’s wealth.

The group expressed concern over the rising cost of living, unemployment and increasing educational expenses, warning that the inability of some students to meet their financial obligations could expose them to criminal and exploitative activities.

According to CDHR, reports of some male students turning to internet fraud and some female students resorting to prostitution to cope with financial pressures should serve as a warning to government and stakeholders.

The organization therefore urged Governor Oborevwori to establish a transparent subsidy framework using a defined portion of the state’s FAAC receipts to support indigenous students.

CDHR proposed that no indigenous student enrolled in a Delta State-owned tertiary institution should pay more than ₦200,000 in total fees per academic session, particularly students pursuing professional and other high-cost courses.

It also demanded a clear and meaningful difference between the fees payable by indigenes and non-indigenes.

The organization argued that increased government revenue following the removal of the petrol subsidy should translate into tangible relief for citizens, particularly young people struggling to obtain education.

“If Delta State is receiving more money, indigenous students must feel the impact,” the group said.

CDHR further maintained that the state’s natural-resource wealth should be deployed to expand opportunities for its young population, rather than leaving families to bear the full burden of tertiary education amid economic hardship.

‘Human Capital Is the Greatest Infrastructure’ With institutions yet to announce their final fees for the 2026/2027 academic session, CDHR urged the governor to seize the opportunity to intervene before new charges are implemented.

The group acknowledged the importance of roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure but stressed that infrastructure development without corresponding investment in human capital would leave the state’s development incomplete.

“Construction of roads and bridges alone is not enough. Human capital development is the greatest infrastructure,” CDHR said.

The rights group urged Governor Oborevwori to make affordable tertiary education a priority and place the educational needs of Delta children at the centre of the state’s social investment programme.

It warned that failure to act could deepen inequality and create a generation of young people excluded from education by financial hardship.

“An educated Delta is a productive Delta. An uneducated Delta is a crisis waiting to happen,” the organization declared.

CDHR called for immediate engagement between the state government, management of state-owned tertiary institutions, students’ representatives and other stakeholders to develop a sustainable and transparent fee-subsidy mechanism before the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year.