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PTDF Begins 2025 Scholarship Interviews For 5,000 Shortlisted Applicants

Published

1 month ago

July 14, 2025

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund, on Monday, commenced the 2025 selection interview for over 5,000 candidates shortlisted for its highly competitive Overseas Scholarship Scheme across six designated centres nationwide.

The shortlisted candidates emerged from a pool of more than 29,000 applicants who applied for the MSc and PhD awards tenable in top universities in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Malaysia, amongst other countries.

Interview sessions are simultaneously ongoing in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Enugu, Bauchi, and Kaduna, each representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The exercise is being supervised by academic professionals, including professors and researchers, appointed as panellists.

Speaking during a meeting with panellists at the formal launch of the interview process in Abuja, the Deputy General Manager, Education and Training, Bello Mustapha, who represented the Executive Secretary of the Fund, reaffirmed PTDF’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and merit in the selection of successful candidates.

“This exercise is critical to our mandate of building capacity in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry,” Mustapha said. “We cannot afford to let it be undermined by personal interests or carelessness.

“Panel members are expected to evaluate candidates based on predetermined criteria, including academic performance, research potential, leadership qualities, and personal suitability for overseas studies. The exercise has been structured to efficiently deal with a high number of applicants and to satisfy federal character principles.”

He warned that unethical conduct such as lobbying for candidates, tampering with scores, or group scoring would attract strict sanctions. “Professionalism and integrity are non-negotiable,” he stressed.

“Any violation may lead to disqualification of the candidate and blacklisting of the panellist involved.”

Mustafa also announced the official rollout of a new split-site PhD programme, under which PTDF-sponsored PhD candidates in the UK will now complete part of their studies at the Fund’s College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna, and the rest in partner institutions abroad.

“These are Robert Gordon University, University of Portsmouth, and University of Strathclyde,” he said. “The arrangement will save costs, strengthen local capacity, and promote joint supervision of research.”

In a bid to prevent bias and inefficiencies observed in past cycles, the Fund has introduced stricter digital scoring templates.

According to Mustafa, only subjects relevant to each candidate’s proposed course of study are now eligible for scoring, while irrelevant subjects like Civic Education or local languages have been removed from the system.

Panellists are required to assess academic qualifications, research potential, leadership capacity, and overall suitability of each candidate independently, without discussing scores or influencing one another.

Also speaking, the Head of the Overseas Scholarship Scheme, Bolanle Kehinde Agboola, confirmed that about 5,000 candidates were shortlisted from over 29,000 applications submitted for the 2025/2026 academic cycle.

She explained that a robust digital system was used to assign initial scores based on information provided in the application forms, which were then manually verified against uploaded credentials.

She said, “Today, we are here for the interview exercise to select candidates for the award of the PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme for the year 2025/26. Candidates have arrived, and panellists have been briefed.

“First and foremost, this scheme has been ongoing for about 25 years now and over the years, one thing PTDF is known for is integrity, transparency and fairness in the scholarship award. We have different stages of shortlisting and it is a very rigorous and robust process.

“We have put a system in place, electronically that would help allocate points based on information put in the application by students. After this, we physically check the information put in the application form and cross-check it with the certificate uploaded.”

Agboola clarified that the final number of awardees would be determined by the PTDF management after the interviews are concluded.

“This year, we had over 29,000 applications from interested candidates. Out of which, we shortlisted about 5,000 candidates, who would be taking the interview nationwide. But the number to be awarded the scholarship will be decided by the management, and it hasn’t been decided.”

The PTDF Overseas Scholarship is a government-funded education scheme targeted at developing a skilled workforce for the energy sector by training Nigerians in key technical and managerial disciplines abroad.

The interviews are expected to run for weeks, and all shortlisted candidates are required to undergo one-on-one assessments in compliance with federal character principles.

News

PHOTOS: Brazil Welcomes Tinubu With Full Military Honours In Brasília

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

Brazil on Monday rolled out full military honours at the Planalto Palace in Brasília to receive President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on X on Monday.

Onanuga said Tinubu was welcomed by his host, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

He wrote, “More photos of the official reception for President Tinubu at the Planalto Palace in Brasília, Monday, August 25, 2025. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed President Bola Tinubu with full military honours.”

News

Tinubu Signs Direct Flight, Other Agreements With Brazil

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed a landmark Bilateral Air Service Agreement with Brazil, signalling the establishment of direct air links between Nigeria and South America’s largest economy.

The agreement was formalised on Monday during Tinubu’s official state visit to Brasília.

Media aide to the minister, Tunde Moshood, made this known through a statement, made available to The PUNCH.

At the signing ceremony which was witnessed by Messrs Nigerian President, Tinubu and the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia also had the Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria, while Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho, also signed for the host country.

The BASA creates a new framework for direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil, with the potential to significantly enhance trade, tourism, investment, and diplomatic relations.

The statement further noted that, “ It also marks a key step in Nigeria’s broader efforts to strengthen international partnerships and improve global connectivity.”

Tinubu had arrived in Brazil with a delegation that included Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; and other senior government officials.

According to the statement, the Brazilian President welcomed the agreement, expressing his administration’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Nigeria in sectors such as aviation, agriculture, and infrastructure.

He described the BASA as a reflection of the strong ties between both countries and an opportunity to deepen economic and cultural collaboration.

Tinubu is also scheduled to hold meetings with key Brazilian government officials, including the President of the Senate, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court.

The two-day visit will include high-level discussions between Nigerian and Brazilian delegations across various sectors, as both nations explore opportunities for mutual growth and development.

The statement reads, “The ongoing state visit will also see President Tinubu meeting the President of the Brazilian Senate at the National Congress, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court.

“The working visit, which continues tomorrow, will also feature high-level engagements between Nigerian and Brazilian delegations across various sectors, underscoring both nations’ commitment to building a future of mutual growth and prosperity.”

News

NAFDAC Warns Of Fake Postinor-2 In Circulation

Published

3 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Monday issued a public alert, warning the public about confirmed counterfeit batches of Postinor-2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75 mg) now circulating in Nigeria.

The alert follows a report from the Society for Family Health, the marketing authorisation holder, confirming that they did not import the suspect batches.

Postinor-2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) is a brand of emergency contraceptive pill containing the active ingredient levonorgestrel.

NAFDAC revealed there are noticeable labelling discrepancies between the authentic and fake products.

It said, “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) hereby notifies the public of falsified Type 1 and 2 batches of POSTINOR 2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) product in circulation.

“The noticeable difference was found to be as follows: The font size of the text on the pin verification sticker appears smaller and has a wrong spelling of the word Veify instead of Verify on the fake; meanwhile, the text font on the sticker of the original appears bigger and more visible. There is also a wrong spelling behind the pack of the fake “Distnibuted in Nigeria” instead of distributed in Nigeria”, NAFDAC said.

NAFDAC identified the original Postinor-2 as batch T32458H, manufactured in February 2023 with an expiry date of February 2027 and registration number 04-6985.

The agency, however, confirmed two falsified versions: Counterfeit Product (Type 1), batch T36184B, manufactured in August 2024 with an expiry date of August 2028; and Counterfeit Product (Type 2), batch 332, manufactured in March 2023 with an expiry date of February 2027, both carrying the registration number 04-6985.

It said that due to the potential presence of incorrect, substandard, or harmful ingredients, improper dosages of levonorgestrel, and a lack of sterile manufacturing conditions, poses significant risks to individual health and public safety.

“The risks of administering falsified Postinor 2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) include failure of contraceptive effect, toxic or harmful contaminants, unpredictable side effects, delayed or missed opportunity for genuine emergency contraception, and potential long-term reproductive health impact. Unexpected side effects: Unknown substances can trigger allergic reactions, organ damage, or death.

“Counterfeit medicines are unregulated, untested, and illegal, making their safety and efficacy impossible to guarantee. Patients should only obtain Postinor-2 from verified pharmacies or licensed healthcare providers.

“Although Investigations are still ongoing regarding the source of the falsified product, all NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the falsified product of type 1 and 2 postinor 2 (Levonorgestrel 0.75mg) within the zones and states,” it added.

NAFDAC urged consumers and healthcare providers to verify PIN stickers carefully, report suspected counterfeit products, and always purchase medications from reputable sources.