The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has begun the 2025 overseas scholarship selection exercise of 400 candidates in the North-East.
Its Executive Secretary, Ahmed Galadima, said this while supervising the candidates selection/screening exercise, on Monday in Bauchi.
He said the fund had set up eight centres across the country, to select best talents to study overseas, and contribute towards shaping the future of the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Represented by Mannir Abubakar, Manager, Strategic Planning, Reserach and Innovation, (PTDF), Galadima said that Masters and PhD candidates would be given scholarship to study engineering, computing, management, environmental and geo-sciences in the UK, China, and Malaysian universities.
Galadima said the fund had implemented viable programmes including overseas scholarships, to develop and improve capacity in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector since inception.
He said the fund adopted effective screening mechanism to select best candidates base on merit across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The PTDF helmsman said the fund also designated desk officers to address challenges that might affect students in their country of study, to encourage academic excellence.
While reiterating commitment to capacity building in the oil and gas sector, Galadima urged the successful candidates to dedicate themselves to studies.
One the candidates from Gombe State, Bello Abubakar-Dauda, lauded the initiative, describing the screening exercise as “seamless.”
Abubakar-Dauda, who applied for a PhD programme in Soil and Water Quality, said the study was relevant in preventing water contamination in oil producing communities.
“Soil and Water Quality is a preventive measure against water contamination in oil producing areas.
“It will prevent the recurrence of water contamination witnessed in the Niger Delta region,” he said. (NAN)
