The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has officially commenced the rigorous screening and interview process for over 746 candidates shortlisted for the 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) in Rivers State. The exercise, which serves the South-South geopolitical zone, is part of a nationwide initiative to select the finest academic minds for Master’s and Doctoral studies abroad.
The ten-day exercise, which began on 7th April and is scheduled to conclude on 17th April 2026, is taking place concurrently across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. In addition to the Port Harcourt centre, interviews are being conducted in Abuja (North-Central), Bauchi (North-East), Kaduna (North-West), Enugu (South-East), and Oyo (South-West).
Speaking during the Master’s degree screening at the PTDF Centre for Skills Development & Training in Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, the Team Lead for the centre, Mr Peter Egheneji, provided a breakdown of the applicants.
“We are interviewing 503 candidates for Master’s degrees and 243 for Ph.D. programmes,” Mr Egheneji, a Deputy Manager at the PTDF, noted. He emphasised that the programme is central to the Fund’s mandate to provide scholarships and bursaries specifically designed to bolster Nigerian expertise within the oil and gas industry.
According to Mr Egheneji, the shortlisting process was governed by stringent academic criteria, including O’level results, undergraduate grades, and the quality of research proposals. “We want to give the best candidates the opportunity to benefit from this scholarship,” he added.
The screening panel comprised seasoned academics and industry veterans, including Professor Godwin Chukwu of the University of Port Harcourt’s Emerald Energy Institute. Professor Chukwu, who also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Toncia Energy Consulting, remarked on the transformative power of the scheme.
“PTDF is adding significant value to the nation’s oil and gas industry. Most beneficiaries have become invaluable assets to the country,” Professor Chukwu stated. He observed that the panel evaluates how an applicant’s undergraduate background can be leveraged to address specific operational challenges in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Interestingly, Professor Chukwu noted the diversity of the applicant pool. “You would be surprised to find candidates from backgrounds such as Political Science and Law who performed exceptionally well in the process,” he revealed. Other distinguished panellists included Professor Tebekeme Koko of the Niger Delta University and Dr Garba Malumfashi, a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
Candidates interviewed at the Igwuruta centre expressed satisfaction with the transparency and technical efficiency of the application process.
Ifeoluwa Ajetunmo, an applicant for an MSc in Engineering Management for Process Sustenance, shared her vision for the industry. “I currently work in an E&P company and have noticed that operational failures are often caused by poor communication rather than technical incompetence. I intend to apply my studies to bridge these gaps,” she said.
Similarly, Edet John Uko, seeking a Master’s in Environmental Engineering, highlighted the importance of global exposure. “There is a need to adopt global strategies to mitigate environmental issues in Nigeria, specifically regarding waste management, oil spillage, and pipeline vandalism,” Mr Uko remarked.
The PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme remains one of Nigeria’s most prestigious academic interventions, aimed at ensuring that the technical and managerial components of the nation’s petroleum sector are led by world-class Nigerian professionals.
Leave a comment