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The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has cautioned beneficiaries of its Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) against treating the award as an opportunity to permanently relocate abroad, reiterating that the programme is strictly designed to build capacity for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The warning comes as the Fund screens 743 shortlisted candidates from the South-South geopolitical zone for the 2026/2027 academic cycle. The screening exercise is taking place at the PTDF Centre for Skills Development and Training, Iguruta, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking during the exercise, PTDF Deputy Manager and Team Lead at the Port Harcourt Centre, Peter Egheneji, stressed that all successful candidates are bound by an agreement that mandates their return to Nigeria upon completion of their studies.
According to him, beneficiaries are required to sign a formal bond with PTDF before the scholarship is awarded, making it compulsory for them to return and contribute to national development.
He explained that the bond eliminates the option of remaining abroad after the programme, noting that compliance is a key condition tied to the scholarship.
The screening, which is being conducted simultaneously across the six geopolitical zones, includes 503 Master’s and 240 PhD candidates from the South-South region alone. Egheneji stated that applicants were shortlisted based on merit, with emphasis on academic performance, including O-level results, undergraduate qualifications, and research proposals.
Also speaking, a member of the screening panel, Professor Godwin Chukwu, highlighted that the selection process goes beyond academic scores to evaluate relevance to Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
He noted that candidates are assessed on how well their academic background aligns with priority areas in oil and gas operations, ensuring that the scholarship produces professionals equipped to address industry needs.
Chukwu added that the ongoing exercise, which commenced earlier in the week, will conclude next week, describing the overall performance of candidates as impressive.
Some applicants who participated in the screening commended the transparent process and expressed readiness to utilise the opportunity to advance Nigeria’s energy sector if selected.
The PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme remains one of the Federal Government’s strategic interventions aimed at developing indigenous expertise and reducing reliance on foreign technical manpower in the oil and gas industry.
