Sixteen offshore post-graduate scholarship students of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have graduated with master’s degrees from their various universities, with four of them earning distinction.
The graduates majored in programmes, such as software engineering, oil and gas, data science and engineering, financial management, law, construction engineering management, and global public health, among others.
The four with distinction include, Nina Orubebe (financial management) Tonbra Tonlagha (international hospitality and tourism), Kemien Egbekun (law) and Simon Douye (construction engineering management).
Already, the successful scholars have participated in the graduation ceremonies of their various institutions in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, including Carnegie Mellon University, Coventry University, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Dundee, Anglia Ruskin University, University of Bedfordshire, Aston University, University of Cambridge, University of South Wales and Northumbria University, among others.
The PAP, under the leadership of the Administrator, Dennis Otuaro, has produced 111 master’s and doctoral degree holders- 57 from universities outside Nigeria and 54 from institutions within the country- since he assumed office in March 2024.
Read also:
- Task force commends Governor Nwifuru for his commitment to VAAP law
- Group raises alarm as Senate delays amending Electoral Act
- 2027: Akwa Ibom lawmaker rallies stakeholders behind Tinubu, Governor Eno
Speaking on the development, Otuaro commended the successful scholars for taking their studies seriously and completing their programmes within schedule, noting that they have added to the human resource base the PAP is building for the Niger Delta.
Otuaro expressed gladness that the PAP scholarship students deployed within and outside Nigeria have been justifying the federal government’s investment in their education.
He reiterated that his large-scale deployments of scholarships align with President Bola Tinubu’s plan to close the region’s human capital development gap through his Renewed Hope Agenda.
Otuaro said he is not distracted by the frivolous smear campaigns orchestrated by his detractors, who are not happy over the expansion of the scholarship scheme for greater access to tertiary education for Niger Deltans.
The PAP boss said that “our decision to expand the scholarship scheme is anchored on the massive support and strong desire of President Bola Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We will not succumb to the frivolous activities of mischief makers and detractors because many of them are not happy that we have increased educational scholarship chances for poor Niger Deltans based on the mandate of the President.
“This new set of 16 successful overseas post-graduate students sponsored by the PAP has reinforced the federal government’s investment in the Niger Delta youths’ education to enhance sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement in the region.”
