The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) on Thursday deployed 34 additional foreign postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries to universities in the United Kingdom for the 2025–2026 academic session, expanding its offshore education support for youths from the Niger Delta.
The scholars will pursue programmes in data science, fintech analytics, cyber security, international energy law and policy, construction project management, public health, agri-food technology, as well as electrical and petroleum engineering, among other fields.
According to PAP, more foreign postgraduate scholars are expected to be sent to universities in the United Kingdom during the current academic session as part of ongoing human capacity development efforts.
The programme recalled that in December 2025, nine students, the first set of offshore postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries under PAP Administrator Dr. Dennis Otuaro for the 2024–2025 academic year, graduated from their respective programmes in the UK.
It also disclosed that since Otuaro assumed office in March 2024, over 9,000 students have been deployed to universities within and outside Nigeria to study industry-relevant courses.
Speaking at a pre-departure orientation programme at the PAP headquarters in Abuja, Otuaro said the large-scale deployment was aimed at transforming the Niger Delta into a knowledge-driven region.
He said, “We are sending all of you for postgraduate studies in various universities in the United Kingdom. The PAP now has a new momentum and direction because of the repositioning and broad reforms carried out in line with the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“The objective behind this scholarship deployment is to develop the human capital needed to transform the Niger Delta and generate knowledge-based wealth. You are expected to contribute your quota to national development after graduation.”
Represented by his Technical Assistant, Mr. Edgar Biu, Otuaro urged the scholars to study hard and achieve academic excellence, stressing the need to justify the Federal Government’s investment.
He warned beneficiaries not to take the opportunity for granted and thanked President Tinubu for his “enormous interest and support for the programme,” including approval to increase the budget from ₦65 billion to ₦150 billion.
Otuaro also expressed gratitude to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his guidance and supervision of PAP initiatives, and reminded the scholars to obey host country laws and institutional regulations as ambassadors of Nigeria and the Niger Delta.
The orientation programme ended with the presentation of laptops to the scholars to support their academic work.
