The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has shortlisted 1,643 applicants for the In-country Scholarship Scheme for the 2024/2025 academic session.

Mr Surajo Abdullahi, Head, In-country Scholarship Scheme (ISS),  PTDF, said this on Monday in Abuja during the physical interview exercise of shortlisted candidates for MSc and PhD programmes under the scheme.

He said that 387 candidates had been screened at the Abuja centre in the exercise holding simultaneously at designated centres across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

The scholarship fully funded by the PTDF is mainly for oil and gas courses such as geology, chemical and mechanical engineering, geosciences, environmental, biochemistry, management and computing.

Abdullahi said the scheme was part of its mandates to develop capacity and competencies in the oil and gas industry through its human and institutional capacity development.

“This is a part of human development where we give Nigerian candidates the opportunity to study in the area of oil and gas to close gaps in the industry.

“So, we normally sponsor them to study in the oil and gas related courses so that we can fill up the gap. We have also widened our scope in different forms of energy and renewables,” he said.

On criteria for selection, Abdullahi said the applicant must be a Nigerian and full-time student at any public universities, adding that applicant must apply and undergo computer, physical and expertise/consultants screenings.

“An applicant must have NYSC Certificate, good study proposal and undergo the interview process by the panelists from different Nigerian universities and other industries who drill the candidates based on their area of specialisations,” he said.

He said that selection for the scholarship was base on merit and monitored by the fund, stressing that its processes were transparent since inception.

According to him, the programme is being carried out in the federal and state universities across the country, and monitored by the Federal Character Commission.

Also speaking, Mr Abubakar Banu, Commissioner representing Kebbi in the Federal Character Commission, said it strived to ensure merit and balance in the slots of the states so ad not to leave any state behind.

“It is our mandate and we are here to ensure that fairness and equity are achieved in the entire exercise, while credentials and formal interview of the candidates will be taken into account,” he said.

Some of the participants lauded the gesture, and expressed the hope of scaling through the selection exercise.

Mr Tertsea Vandeyoon, a PhD scholarship applicant in mechanical engineering, described the process as transparent, commended the Federal Government for the initiative.

“After I rounded up my Masters programme in 2023, I saw the PTDF advert, and applied after I got admissions into PhD in the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and to the glory of God, I was called for the interview”. (NAN)