No less than 1,643 PhD and MSc applications are attempting to access the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF scholarship scheme.
The applications come from various universities across the country.
Mr Tajudeen Ibiyeye, Chief Officer and Team Leader for South West said this during the interview for this year’s in-country PTDF scholarship initiative.
The scholarship interview took place in the Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan.
Mr Ibiyeye said: “For this year, we have 1,643 applicants that applied for both Msc and PhD scholarship programmes. We have 255 applicants from the South West including185 Msc and 70 PhD applicants. The candidates were picked from universities across the country.
“The scholarship covers engineering, science, management, geo-science and ICT. The selection process is very transparent. You have to be a Nigerian, you must have done the first degree with a second class (Upper Division) and of course a very good O’ Level results. After the shortlisting, the applicants will face panelists to get the best out of them.
“With the renewed hope of Mr President, our aim is to get candidates that would add value to the oil and gas sector.”
On the possible number of successful candidates, he said that was at the discretion of the management.
“Our own job is to present the best candidates to the management,” he said.
He added that the panelists were chosen from various fields and that they are not PTDF staff.
“We have Federal Character Commission staff who is monitoring the process. In addition to that we gave them opportunities to discuss with us if they are not satisfied with the process and so far, none of them have complained,” he concluded.
One of the applicants, Mr Ridwan Kayode, an MSC Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, said: “I applied for PDTF scholarship and I was shortlisted.
“I knew about this scholarship on social media and I applied. At first, I didn’t take it serious. A friend of mine got the scholarship sometime ago and I called him. He put me through.”
Also, Olufemi Okunowo said: “I applied for the scholarship online and about two months ago I saw that my name is among the shortlisted applicants. This is the third time I’m applying for PTDF scholarship.
“In 2001 and 2002, I applied for the foreign scholarship at PTDF but I couldn’t get it. This year, I applied for the scholarship to study my PhD in Nigeria.”
Mrs Yetunde Oriji, from Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Ondo State, noted: “This is my first time applying for this scholarship. The interview is very thorough and good. The panelists are very strict.”