Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has accepted an invitation to deliver the 35th convocation lecture of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on July 25, 2025. The Governor gave his consent during a courtesy visit by the institution’s management, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Owunari Georgewill, to Government House in Yenagoa.

In the statement signed by Chief Press Secretary Daniel Alabrah, Prof. Georgewill expressed pride in having Governor Diri as an alumnus of the institution. “Bayelsa under Diri was experiencing rapid transformation as virtually all sectors of the state’s economy had been positively affected by his administration,” he said. Georgewill also appealed to the Governor to consider a legacy project for the institution to cope with the rising number of students and staff.

Governor Diri commended the UNIPORT management for maintaining excellence in the institution, emphasizing that education is crucial to societal development. “If you ignore education, then you have to build more prisons because crime will soar. For us as a government, education is a priority,” Diri said. He restated his administration’s commitment to developing the sector, highlighting the state’s shift from paper qualifications to science, technical, and vocational education.

Diri revealed that his government had completed tuition-free technical colleges in six out of eight local government areas, with contracts awarded for the remaining two. “We are building science and vocational colleges in every local government area as a policy of this government. School fees, feeding, and accommodation are all free,” he stated.

The Governor accepted the invitation to deliver the convocation lecture, saying, “I will be happy to deliver the convocation lecture. If I did it in other institutions, UNIPORT’s should not be different. I also approve your request for a legacy infrastructure in our institution.”