The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has successfully deployed over 140 beneficiaries to various universities across the United Kingdom for post-graduate studies under its foreign scholarship scheme. This significant deployment was officially announced during a pre-departure orientation ceremony held at the PAP headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of PAP, addressed attendees at the event, highlighting the initiative as part of ongoing efforts to enhance human capital development in the Niger Delta and throughout Nigeria. He emphasized that this aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the region. The students have been placed in competitive and professional courses aimed at contributing to socio-economic growth.
“If you put the number of beneficiaries we are deploying today together, over 140, all of them are going for post-graduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom,” Otuaro stated. “We are confident that when they complete their studies and return, they will add value to the socio-economic advancement of the Niger Delta, and the human capacity resource of the region will be enriched. They will add value to our communities, the region, and the nation.”
During the orientation, new laptops were distributed to the scholarship recipients to assist with their research and academic work abroad. Otuaro reiterated that this intervention is a strategic move to bridge the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta, underscoring that the students are not merely scholarship beneficiaries but future contributors to Nigeria’s development.
“What we are doing today is a deliberate effort to take the development agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to the people in the communities of the Niger Delta,” he remarked. “When the President appointed me last year, he gave me a mandate and that is to take this programme to the people. That is what we are doing.”
He encouraged the departing students to stay focused on their academic goals and to avoid distractions while abroad. The scholarship scheme prioritizes professional fields that are industry-competitive and relevant to Nigeria’s development needs, while also noting that the programme includes several in-country educational initiatives.
Other officials present at the briefing provided valuable insights to prepare the beneficiaries for life and studies in the UK. Notable speakers included Edgar Daniel, Technical Assistant to the PAP Administrator; Maj. Gen. M.O. Erebulu, Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army; and Dr. Charles Ariye, Head of PAP’s Education Department. They addressed various topics, including social and cultural challenges of studying in Europe, diplomatic and security considerations, and the academic rigours of UK institutions.
Several scholarship recipients expressed their gratitude to the PAP for this opportunity. Gift Gbaminido and Amadimati Greatman pledged to make the most of their training and to serve as exemplary ambassadors for their families, communities, and the Niger Delta while abroad.
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