By Rauf Oyewole
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has screened 424 applicants for foreign scholarships to study petroleum related courses at both masters and doctor of philosophy (PhD).
The screening process is a nationwide exercise to select the most suitable beneficiaries who will embark on development research and make contributions to the Nation's energy sector.
In the North East, the Fund has shortlisted 266 for masters degree and 158 for PhD.
Speaking at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University on Tuesday, the Deputy Manager Services, College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Sirajo Abdullahi Fari, explained that the process involved three stages; system verification, screening of documents by the personnel of the Fund and vetting by a team of consultants.
According to him, the Fund's mandate is to train for human capital development to fill the manpower shortage in the oil sector. He added that Agency has been sponsoring students abroad for the past 20 years and necessary development contributions have been recorded.
“We have been receiving testimonies that our former cohorts are now part of the people manning the newly built Dangote Refinery, Shell and other places. In fact, many others are now professors who are the ones being deployed as panelists,” he said.
He explained that the Fund has always insist on merit and ensure that qualified candidates emerged regardless of their status, tribe or connection.
One of the panelists, Prof. Abubakar Isa Bello of Bayero University, Kano, said that the exercise is centred on merit-based without interference from PTDF. “We have been given the guidelines and follow through, we therefore at the end of the day make recommendations based on our assessment and the Fund makes the final decision,” he said.
One of the applicants, Atiku Birama, from Gombe State, commended the officials describing them as “friendly and transparent”. He expressed optimism for final selection.
“It is encouraging to see how seriously PTDF takes the selection process. The presence of experts and panelists makes us feel that this scholarship is truly merit-based,” he said.
Fatima Abdullahi, a candidate from Bauchi State, added, “Even if I don’t get selected, this process has boosted my confidence. It has taught me how to present and defend my research effectively, preparing me for future academic and professional challenges.”
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