UK university partners with PTDF to broaden scholarship opportunities

Loughborough University, located in the United Kingdom, has entered into discussions with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund to increase the availability of scholarships for Nigerian students, especially in areas such as oil, gas, and renewable energy.

Details of the talks were shared during a media briefing held in Abuja, where top representatives from the university outlined their plan to establish a lasting and strategic relationship with Nigeria through the PTDF.

During the event, the university’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, Prof. Sam Grogan, said the goal of the partnership would be centered on building human capacity and developing relevant skills.

“The purpose of us wanting to work with the PTDF around scholarships is again around aligning some of our work around capacity building to ensure that it supports the infrastructure capacity building and the skills pipeline to service that around, in this instance, oil and gas and renewable energy,” he said.

He stated that the planned collaboration with PTDF is not meant to be temporary, but rather a lasting initiative that will create meaningful change.

“We’re not interested in being here for one year and not coming back. What we’re interested in is getting in for a long-term, sustainable relationship that actually makes a long-term difference to the world,” he added.

Grogan further pointed out that Nigerian students have already made notable achievements at the university, including one former PTDF scholar who is now part of the staff and another alumnus who serves as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at a Nigerian university.

He also mentioned that several opportunities were explored with PTDF, such as fully funded scholarships, short-term courses, and postgraduate studies, all aimed at providing more educational access for Nigerians.

According to Grogan, almost 50 percent of students at the university participate in internships or industry placements during their academic programs, a practice that boosts both job readiness and international relevance.

Also speaking at the event, Prof. Amanda Daley, a Professor of Behavioural Medicine at Loughborough, emphasized the university’s dedication to forming fair and collaborative relationships with African nations.

Daley, who heads one of the institution’s research centres, remarked that Nigerian students studying at Loughborough not only acquired knowledge but also brought fresh ideas that strengthened the university’s efforts.

She noted that the rise of non-communicable diseases in both Nigeria and the UK has made joint research and knowledge-sharing in health more necessary than ever.

The Global Engagement Officer of the university, Florence Mutero, also addressed the press during the session.

She pointed out that despite being ranked among the top ten universities in the UK, Loughborough provides relatively affordable education in terms of tuition and cost of living, largely due to its location in Leicestershire.

Mutero, who previously studied at the university, said African students have access to several scholarship schemes.

These include a 20 percent “Creating Better Futures” tuition discount available to all African applicants, along with performance-based scholarships like the African Development Scholarship, Global Impact Scholarship, and a variety of field-specific and athletic scholarships.

She said, “For students that play at a very competitive level, a high level, they can get a sports scholarship as well. We also have a Computer Science Scholarship for underrepresented groups, including Black students, women and persons with disabilities.”

She explained that the tuition ranges from £26,000 to £32,000 per year, depending on the course of study, while living costs are typically lower than those in larger cities across the UK.

Loughborough University is globally recognized as the top institution for sports-related programs and puts strong emphasis on combining academic quality with practical, industry-based learning.

The university also expressed its interest in preparing Nigerian students to take on leadership roles globally and pursue careers that create measurable impact.

It was previously reported that the Petroleum Technology Development Fund raised concerns about a growing number of its sponsored graduates remaining in the UK and US due to limited job openings in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

This development comes as PTDF begins working closely with domestic oil and gas firms to help ensure that students educated through its international scholarship programme are employed in essential roles within the sector.