Sen. Dr. Arthur I. Okowa Legacy

 Tertiary Education

Between 2015 and 2023, the State Government through the Ministry of Higher Education achieved the following, among other things;
i. establishment of three (3) new State-owned Universities: University of Delta, Agbor, Dennis Osadebay, University, Asaba and Delta State University of Science& Technology, Ozoro; ii. massive infrastructural development inthe tertiary institutions; iii. ultra-modern Public Library at the State Headquarters; iv. approval of 65 years for teaching andnon-teaching staff of the institutions; v. absorption of 99 staff of College of Education, Warri, into the State payroll; vi. recruitment into the tertiary institutions for effective service delivery; vii. maintained hitch free academic calendar over the years; viii. successful accreditation of programmes and courses in tertiary institutions; ix. establishment of public libraries acrossthe State; x. the Ministry through her collaboration and positive suggestion to Government, made it possible for the College of PhysicalEducation, Mosogar, to be renamed as College of Education, Mosogar;
xi. successful transfer of School of MarineTechnology, Burutu from the Directorate ofTransport to Ministry of Higher Education for effective and efficient service delivery; xii. financial assistance to Delta State students in the Nigerian Law School; xiii. transfer of Institute of Continuing Education to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education xiv. payment of scholarship to children ofdeceased Civil Servants; xv. payment of scholarship to Physicallychallenged students; xvi. payment of Students Special AssistanceScheme (Bursary) to undergraduate students; xvii. consistent payment of staff salaries ofthe Ministry and Tertiary Institution xxi. successfully registered and given approval to 23 (twenty-three) Private Tertiary Institutions that are currently operating in the State

Vocational Education

The Girls Entrepreneurship and Skills Training – Project GEST commenced in 2020 as one of the Programmes being implemented by the Ministry of Girl Child Entrepreneurship and Development. It is an initiative of the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration to improve the well-being and livelihood status of young women and girls between the ages of 18 and 30 while also providing economically viable alternatives to GIRLS ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SKILLS TRAINING (GEST) formal employment. It is an upgrade training for young female entrepreneurs who already have some expertise in their chosen skill area. The project provides top-notch training and starter packs as well as shop subsidies to beneficiaries. Through the 3 streams of Project GEST, a total of 1850 girls have been trained in various skill areas across the 25 LGAs in Delta State.

The training on the First Phase of the ICT-YEPtraining commenced on Monday 10th of May2021 (with an orientation session for the enlisted trainees) and ended in September 18th, 2021(with the distribution of Starter Packs item). Thedistribution of the starter packs took place in theThree (3) Senatorial Districts of the State.
The Trainees assigned to collect their starterPacks from Delta North received theirs at theUnity Hall Government House, Asaba on the24th of January 2022, while Trainees earmarked to receive in Delta Central and Delta South, gottheirs at the Governor’s office Annex, Warri onthe 26th and 28th of January 2022 respectively.
The ICT-YEP training for the second phase wasapportioned into two (2) batches of 300 and275 participants. The Training for the First Batchcommenced in 10th of May 2022 and ended in11th of September 2022, while the second Batchwhich is still ongoing started in 10th of April 2023.

Delta State Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency(DEMSMA) was established on 20th October 2014. The Agency coordinates the development of MSMEs and also provides advisory services for MSMEs in Delta State.
Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was the first Governor across the entire country to flag–off the NGCares program on 21st September 2021 with the approval of funds and the subsequent disbursement of the first phase of operational grants to 1818 SME beneficiaries who received amounts ranging from N150,000 and N350,000to N700,000 respectively, across the State.  From May 29, 2015 to May 2023 the Aagency, has trained and empowered 31,692 MSMEs in different categories.

Remarkable achievements were accomplished at the various levels of education – basic, secondary, technical/vocational and tertiary.