Agorehmi Bright, Reporting
THE Presidential Amnesty Programme has recorded another milestone with 16 offshore postgraduate scholarship students graduating with master’s degrees from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, with four earning distinction.
The graduates, who majored in programmes including software engineering, oil and gas data science and engineering, financial management, law, construction engineering management and global public health, have participated in graduation ceremonies at institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Coventry University, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Dundee, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Bedfordshire, Aston University, the University of Cambridge, the University of South Wales and Northumbria University.
The four distinction graduates are Nina Orubebe (financial management), Tonbra Tonlagha (international hospitality and tourism), Kemien Egbekun (law) and Simon Douye (construction engineering management).
111 Postgraduate Holders Under Current Administration
According to a press release issued by Special Assistant Igoniko Oduma, the PAP, under the leadership of Administrator Dr Dennis Brutu 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.
Dr 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.
Expanded Scholarship Scheme
The PAP boss expressed gladness that 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.
“Our decision to expand the scholarship scheme is anchored on the massive support and strong desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Dr Otuaro said.
Defiant Against Critics
Dr Otuaro said he is not distracted by “frivolous smear campaigns” orchestrated by his detractors, who he claimed are unhappy over the expansion of the scholarship scheme for greater access to tertiary education for Niger Deltans.
He said he is encouraged by the magnanimity and backing of President Tinubu, who approved an upward review of the agency’s budget, emphasising that the presidential gesture came with a mandate to increase scholarships to secure the region’s peace and future generations.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Scholarship Deployments
Dr Otuaro said the PAP has deployed about 9,000 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Nigerian universities, and 247 for higher degrees in offshore universities.
He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, noting that they are laying a solid foundation for the peace, stability and shared prosperity of the region.
