The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has kicked off the interview stage for its 2025/2026 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS), with 5,723 candidates currently undergoing screening across different zones in Nigeria.
This comes after the agency received 29,633 applications for the highly competitive programme, which offers funding for Master’s and PhD studies abroad. The scholarship focuses on building capacity for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector through advanced education and research.
At the Abuja screening centre on Monday, PTDF’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Ahmed Aminu—represented by Mr. Bello Mustapha, Deputy General Manager for Education and Training—highlighted the Fund’s commitment to fairness, merit, and national spread. He explained that the process was carefully designed to handle the high volume of applications while respecting federal character principles.
Panel members drawn from academic institutions and the energy industry are tasked with assessing candidates based on set criteria such as academic records, leadership potential, research plans, and readiness for overseas study. According to Aminu, professionalism and integrity are critical to ensuring a credible selection process.
PTDF’s overseas scholarship programme, which has been running since 2000, partners with leading universities in countries like the UK, France, Germany, and Malaysia. For PhD candidates heading to the UK, their programmes will be split between their UK institutions and the PTDF-affiliated College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna.
Mrs. Bolanle Kehinde-Agboola, who heads the OSS, said interviews are being held simultaneously in six centres nationwide. She stressed that the Fund’s automated system scores applicants based on their submitted information, after which shortlisted candidates undergo a manual verification and oral interview.
She also noted that aside from petroleum engineering and energy-related fields, the Fund considers disciplines like Law and Management because of their relevance to the sector.
Some of the candidates shared positive feedback about the process. Usman Awolerimi, a lawyer aiming for an MSc in International Commercial Law, described the experience as well-organized. Elohor Ewherido, who applied to study International Business Management, praised the transparency. Another applicant, Oluwatobi Emmanuel, an engineer hoping to study in Germany, said he found the process smooth and user-friendly.
PTDF will announce the final list of scholarship recipients after management concludes its review.
