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PTDF Begins 2025 Scholarship Interviews For 5,000 Shortlisted Applicants

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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.

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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.

READ ALSO:PAP Conducts Verification For 3,171 Scholarship Beneficiaries, Presents 663 Laptops To Final Year Students

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“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.”

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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.

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READ ALSO:Why We Discontinued Foreign Scholarship Programme For Lecturers —TETFUND

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.

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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.

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READ ALSO:Ondo Students Scholarship, Bursary Registration Begins

“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.”

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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.

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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.

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Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan

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Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.

Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.

He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.

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READ ALSO: Wale Edun Opens Up After Sack

Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.

“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”

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He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.

He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.

Watch the video here

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Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint

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Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.

The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.

‎ A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”

‎Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.

READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection

It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.

‎Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.

‎The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.

‎Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

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READ ALSO: Egor LG Chair, Ogbemudia, Vice, Osawe Impeached

Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.

He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.

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Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.

The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.

“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”

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Okpebholo Salutes Edo Muslims, Seeks Continued Support, Prayers

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has urged Muslims and all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, unity and progress in the country even as they celebrate the annual Eid-al-Adha

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, stated this during the annual Eid-al-Adha celebration with Muslim faithfuls held at Government House in Benin City.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens irrespective of religion and tribe.

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READ ALSO:ADC Penetrates Okpebholo’s District As Defections Strengthen Party in Edo Central

According to him, the present administration remains determined to building a government that reflects the diversity of Edo State, noting that competent and qualified Muslims have continued to play vital roles in his government because of their capacity, integrity and commitment to service.

“As a government, we remain committed to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunity for every Edo citizen, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. This is why quality and competent Muslims are serving in key positions in our administration.”

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Okpebholo appreciated the Muslim community in Edo State for their unwavering support and continuous prayers for his administration, noting that such prayers and support have contributed immensely to the peace and steady development being witnessed across the state.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo Felicitates Muslims On Eid-el-Fitr Celebration

He then called on all Nigerians to use the occasion of Eid-al-Adha to pray for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the country needs collective prayers, unity and cooperation to overcome its present economic and security challenges.

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I urge all Muslims and indeed all Nigerians to use this occasion to pray for our dear nation and for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria needs our collective prayers, unity and support as we strive to overcome our challenges and build a more prosperous future for all.”

In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Edo State, Abdulfatai Enabulele, applauded the governor for what he described as remarkable developmental strides recorded in less than two years in office.

The cleric commended the administration for ongoing infrastructural development and efforts geared towards improving governance in the state, but appealed to the government to revisit and complete some abandoned projects inherited from the previous administration for the benefit of the people.

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