The Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) has started screening at least 198 candidates for its 2024/2025 Overseas Students Scholarship for postgraduate studies from the South-East.

Afam Ikwuemesi, team lead of OSS’ initiative programme (South-East centre), told journalists in Enugu on Wednesday that it covered master’s and PhD programmes.

Mr Ikwuemesi said that the applicants were given the prerogative to choose the centre, and almost 200 people preferred the South-East centre.

He said the ongoing OSS interview and original certificates sighting and screening,  held at the main hall of the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (for the South-East centre), would run for the rest of the week.

According to him, the annual PTDF overseas postgraduate scholarship is a well-thought-out programme intended to bridge the skill gap in the oil and gas industry and has been used over the years to train the best Nigerians.

Mr Ikwuemesi, who is also PTDF chief officer (training division), said that the ongoing OSS programme would prioritize engineering, geosciences, environmental sciences, and renewable energy.

“Part of our mandate is capacity building in the oil and gas industry; for now, we (PTDF) have been mandated to train Nigerians in the different skills and vocations in the oil and gas industry. 

“We use this scheme to train Nigerians in top universities abroad, especially those we have partnerships with.

“After completing their training, these scholars come back and contribute to the oil and gas industry in the identified skills gap areas,” he said.

Mr Ikwuemesi further said that the availability of funds would be key in determining the number of candidates for the scholarship award. 

He said that initially, over 20,000 Nigerians applied online nationwide, and about 5,000 were shortlisted for this interview nationwide, adding, “while here presently, about 200 preferred South-East centre.”

(NAN)