The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has concluded a computer-based test (CBT) to select candidates for its 2025 foreign postgraduate scholarship programme.

Boma Iyaye, executive director of finance and administration at the NDDC, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

He stated that about 6,000 applicants selected from the nine states across the Niger Delta sat for the examination.

“The scholarship programme, which began in 2010, has produced top-level professionals with technical knowledge, capacity, and expertise to compete across various sectors,” he said.

Mr Iyaye reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to human capital development as a means of creating opportunities for people in the Niger Delta to excel.

He attributed the relatively low number of applicants who sat the examinations to the inability of some candidates to submit required documentation and information.

“As a result, only 6,000 applicants from across the nine Niger Delta states participated in the CBT examination, which was conducted over a period of three days.

“Although the financial burden of the foreign scholarship programme is huge, the NDDC remains committed to sustaining it,” he assured.

Mr Iyaye also revealed that the commission was considering the expansion of the scholarship initiative to include undergraduate studies at Nigerian universities.

He noted that the introduction of a local scholarship component would allow more indigenous students from the region to benefit from the programme.

George Uzonwanne, director of education, health, and social services at the NDDC, stressed that the development of any nation was measured  by the quality of its education.

He explained that the scholarship programme was designed to produce highly skilled professionals with the expertise required to contribute meaningfully in sectors such as the oil and gas industry.

“The programme equips our young people with the relevant training and skills needed for effective participation in the federal government local content initiatives.

“It also enables them to specialise in their chosen fields of study, thereby enhancing their globally competitiveness,” Mr Uzonwanne stated.

He expressed confidence in the transparency of the selection process and assured that the scheme would continue.

The scholarship programme covers disciplines in the sciences, including engineering, agricultural science, environmental science, geosciences, information technology, management sciences, law, and architecture.

 (NAN)