PTDF Shortlist 5000 Students Scholarships for MSc and PhD Overseas for the 2023/2024 Academic Session

Over 5,000 applicants from across Nigeria have been shortlisted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for scholarships in foreign institutions for the 2023/2024 academic session. 

The PTDF scholarships aim to strengthen the oil and gas industry by training individuals who can contribute creative ideas and acquire industry-specific skills.

Further speaking on this, Mrs Bolanle Kehinde-Agboola, the PTDF's Head of the Overseas Scholarship Scheme, made the statement on Monday during the selection interview process for MSc and PhD students, where the 5000 applicants were selected.

She also stated that the selection interview was a continuation of the application process, which began on February 13, 2023, with advertisements in some national media (Newspapers, Tv stations, and Radio channels) calling qualified Nigerians to apply. Although there was a benchmark on the class of degree that was allowed to apply to further make the selection process easier.

In her exact words,

• “What is happening here today is the interview for the award of scholarship to Nigerians for the 2023/2024 academic session.

• “We have shortlisted over 5,000 applicants to partake in the exercise which is going on in the six geo-political zones.

• “The first criterion is that you must be a Nigerian. For the master’s programme, the applicant must be a student of any of the oil and gas fields like engineering, geology, computer sciences, environmental sciences and management.

• “You must have a minimum of a second-class upper in any of these fields for you to be qualified,’’ she said.

Kehinde-Agboola also stated that the agency would open the application window towards the end of 2023 for applicants to submit their applications.

She went on to say that PTDF was an agency concerned with strengthening and developing the oil and gas sector, implying that the program's main objective was to develop individuals who will bring innovation to the oil and gas industry.

She also stated that the exercise's goal was to provide the applicants with the necessary skills to work effectively in this industry. 

• “We have had a situation where someone finished from a university with a third class in Nigeria and came with a first-class certificate from a foreign university that is fake.

• “We were able to detect such fake certificates, and because of that, we decided to take a further step to ratify the issue by ensuring that this selection runs with integrity and diligence.

• “This year, we have deployed some equipment that will help us to detect fake certificates.

She stated that the process was designed to quickly deal with a large number of applicants while also meeting federal character requirements. Successful candidates will be offered scholarships once the interviews are completed.

Things You Should Know About the PTDF Scholarships

1. The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is an agency of the Federal Government responsible for building Nigerians in the oil sector and sustaining petroleum technology with these initiatives to satisfy the needs of the oil and gas industry.

2. The scholarships invite qualified candidates to apply for foreign MSc and PhD scholarships to the United Kingdom, as well as through beneficial partnerships in France, Germany, Malaysia, and China.

3. To know more about the scheme, you can log in to their website to see more.