The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has declared that its foreign postgraduate scholarship programme is being run under what it described, as a “transparent and fair” selection process, even as thousands of applicants continue to compete for limited slots in the scheme.
Managing Director of the commission, Samuel Ogbuku, made the claim during an assessment visit to the ongoing scholarship interview exercise in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he said the process had been free of bias, compromise or interference.
Ogbuku, represented by the Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Patience Ezugu, commended the interview panel and insisted that the exercise had not generated complaints from candidates.
He said beneficiaries of previous editions of the programme had performed well academically abroad, adding that the commission had not recorded any disciplinary or integrity issues linked to past scholars.
Officials involved in the process also defended the credibility of the selection exercise, pointing to the use of computer-based testing as a key transparency mechanism.
According to the Director of Education, Awele Chukwudifu, candidates are shown their scores immediately after the computer based test examinations, a system she said reduces room for manipulation.
“As soon as the computer-based exams are concluded, the scores pop up, which ensures every candidate sees their scores immediately,” she said, describing the process as a safeguard for integrity.
The interview panel, chaired by Prof. Beleudanyo Fente of Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, also backed the exercise, saying the screening process was structured to ensure only qualified candidates advanced.
Prof. Fente said the panel maintained strict adherence to procedure in selecting successful applicants, insisting that there was “no room for compromise.”
Consultant to the programme, Chief Godson Ideozu, said the scholarship scheme had run without operational controversy since inception, noting that 12,277 candidates applied this year, 5,986 passed the computer based test stage, while 2,492 made it to oral interviews.
He added that successful candidates would be invited for a final briefing ahead of eventual deployment for overseas studies.
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Despite the assurances from officials, the scale of competition has once again raised questions around accessibility and fairness in public scholarship schemes, particularly in a region where youth unemployment remains high and demand for foreign education support continues to outstrip available slots.
One of the candidates, Mrs. Akindoyeni Oluwabukunmi, described the process as “transparent and satisfactory,” saying the opportunity could help improve her academic capacity and contribute to regional development.
The NDDC says the programme is part of its broader human capital development strategy aimed at training Niger Delta indigenes abroad, with the expectation that beneficiaries return to contribute to socio-economic development in the region.
