The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has shortlisted a total of 5,746 candidates across Nigeria for interviews under its 2025 Overseas Scholarship Scheme.
This was disclosed on Monday during the commencement of the interview exercise in Kaduna, one of the designated centres for the North-West geopolitical zone.
A total of 3,875 candidates were shortlisted for Master’s degrees (MSc) while 1,871 were selected for Doctorate programmes (PhD), according to the PTDF.
In Kaduna centre alone, 560 candidates are participating in the exercise, 350 for MSc and 210 for PhDs.
Nationwide exercise
Speaking at the interview venue, Atahiru Ahmad, Manager of Training at PTDF, explained that the interview was part of the selection process and would run throughout the week for Master’s applicants.
“We are expecting 350 candidates in Kaduna this week for the MSc interview. We schedule them for morning and afternoon,” he said.
Ahmad noted that PTDF created six centres across the federation to ensure accessibility for candidates, adding that applicants were allowed to choose the closest venue to them.
“PTDF was saddled with the responsibility of developing capacity for the oil and gas industry
“So, we are looking at oil and gas-related courses,” he said.
Also speaking, Dalhatu Ibrahim, Director of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) in Katsina State, said the process was being monitored for fairness and transparency.
“This is not the first time the PTDF is conducting this.
“They have their criteria on the basis of which they make their selection and shortlist on the basis of those criteria.
“They shortlist, they invite, and we come to monitor how fair and equitable the process is,” he said
Candidates’ study focus
Capt. Chukwuebuka Nwali, an officer from the Nigerian Army Education Corps, applied to study Nuclear Physics, aiming to tackle corrosion challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He said he discovered PTDF via friends and social media and expressed his desire to contribute to national development:
“I want to add value to the country after completing my studies abroad,” he said
Ibrahim Jamilu, a geoscientist, applied to study Environmental Geology, citing environmental degradation caused by oil and gas activities.
“My studies would help me understand the interaction between human activities and the geologic environment, enabling me to address environmental issues,” Jamilu stated
Habiba Ali, an economist, is pursuing a scholarship to study Computational Finance, aiming to transform Nigeria’s financial sector through technology.
“I want to leverage this knowledge to address Nigeria’s financial sector issues,” she said.
She expressed optimism about contributing to economic growth, especially in the oil and gas space.
What you should know
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Overseas Scholarship Scheme is a fully funded scholarship programme established by the Nigerian government to develop local expertise for the country’s oil and gas industry.
Managed by the PTDF under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the scheme provides Nigerian students with the opportunity to pursue Master’s and Doctorate degrees in selected universities abroad.
The scholarship covers all major academic expenses, including tuition, flight tickets, health insurance, and living allowances. It also provides research grants for PhD candidates. The focus of the programme is strictly on fields that are relevant to the oil and gas sector.
These include engineering, geosciences, environmental management, energy economics, oil and gas law, and emerging disciplines such as data science and renewable energy as applied to the energy industry.
The aim of the Overseas Scholarship Scheme is to train a new generation of Nigerian professionals who can bring advanced knowledge and global best practices into the country’s petroleum sector, thereby reducing the reliance on foreign expertise.
Please can we have access to list? Most of us might be successful and won’t know because there’s not message