OGHAREKI, DELTA STATE — A newly completed technical college in Delta State has enrolled 369 students in its first week, as authorities prepare to commission the institution.
The figure was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Technical Education, Smart Ijeoma Ufoh, during an inspection of the Oghareki Model Technical College on Sunday, 27 September.
Mr Ufoh said 87 of the students were already living in the school hostel, while admissions remained open.
The enrolment comprises 135 students in Junior Technical One, 113 in Junior Technical Two and 121 in Senior Technical One, where students will receive more advanced practical training.
Nineteen students previously enrolled at the technical college in Omadino have also transferred to Oghareki following the takeover of the Omadino campus by the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun.
From construction site to technical training centre
The commissioner said the Oghareki project was about 30% complete when Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office, but had since been developed into a fully equipped technical institution.
The college has classrooms, laboratories, hostels and specialised workshops for areas including welding and fabrication, fashion and design, building and construction, motor mechanics, refrigeration and air-conditioning, auto electricity, auto body repair, ICT, solar and electrical installation, furniture and carpentry.
It also has laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology.
“Today is September 27, 2026, and I want to categorically state as follows: this school is ready for commissioning. All the classes have resumed,” Mr Ufoh said.
The ICT workshop has more than 100 computers, with solar power, air-conditioning and CCTV surveillance.
The building and construction workshop, according to the commissioner, has equipment capable of producing up to 100 blocks per hour.
Mr Ufoh said the emphasis was on giving students practical skills that could prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship.
“We are training students here to become employers of labour tomorrow,” he said.
Staffing remains a challenge
Despite the new facilities, officials say staffing remains one of the immediate challenges facing the college.
Mr Ufoh said the institution would require 133 teaching staff and 26 non-teaching staff, including professionals capable of operating its specialised equipment.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Technical Education, Dr Anthony Okwunze, said the college currently had only about 13 teaching staff, including the principal and vice-principal.
He said additional teachers would be needed to ensure the workshops were fully utilised.
“The teaching staff we have in this place are just about 13, including the principal and the vice-principal. So, definitely, to be able to put these workshops into good and productive use, more teachers will have to come on board,” Dr Okwunze said.
He also called for a school bus to enable students to participate in trade fairs, exhibitions and other activities outside the college.
Dr Okwunze praised the security arrangements, including the perimeter fencing, barbed wire, security post and CCTV cameras.
Plans for industry partnerships
The state government says it plans to expose students to industry through industrial training and partnerships with businesses.
Mr Ufoh said opportunities created by investments and businesses attracted through the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit could also provide avenues for students to gain practical experience.
He said the transfer of students from conventional secondary schools to the technical college was already being observed in Oghareki, describing the first-week enrolment as evidence of growing interest in technical education.
With classes underway and admissions continuing, the Oghareki Model Technical College is now awaiting its official commissioning.