The strategy of using Nigerian universities and finishing in some foreign ones known as ‘split-site initiative’ will not only save cost but will free more spaces for more Nigerian scholars. This strategy is said to allow a student to start in a Nigerian university and conclude in a foreign one.
This is even more important as Nigeria works at improving the nation’s participation in the oil, gas, and energy sector through the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF) charged with the responsibility to train Nigerian graduates.
The scholarship scheme targets candidates interested in researching key areas to proffer solutions, boost production, and better the nation’s economy.
It was gathered that the PTDF has screened doctorate candidates for its flagship programme, the ‘PTDF Oversees Scholarship’, to provide quality manpower from within the country in line with the Local Content Act.
The Screening exercise for the 2026/2027 ‘Oversees Scholarship for Doctorate Candidates’ in the South-South geopolitical zone took place at the Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) located at the International Airport Roundabout Port Harcourt.
The exercise drew select Phd candidates whose research topics were deemed to meet the criteria for the screening from successful applicants will emerge for a one-year research abroad and another two years in-country to boost local content.
Speaking on the mode of selection for the screening and the Scholarship, Obonin Ogiri Daddy, the Team Lead for the second week of the PhD screening, and a Deputy Manager in the Internal Audit Division of the Fund, told Journalists that the ‘Oversees Doctorate Scholarship Scheme’ which is now split-site (one-year segment oversees and two years in-country) was as a result of paucity of funds.
He said it helps to retain knowledge gained and go a long way in building the institutions across the country.
He said the initiative has the capacity to free up more funds, reduce capital flight, and increase the prospect of accommodating more beneficiaries of the scholarship from the various states in the geopolitical zones.
With the re-domesticated PTDF Oversees Scholarship, Daddy appealed to the management to further equip the Kaduna Laboratory to provide the needed tools for candidates going into laboratory research to enhance productivity.
Daddy explained that the exercise involves PhD candidates drawn from across Management Sciences, Geosciences, Engineering as well as other fields.
Daddy outlined the mandate of the PTDF to include building technical manpower for the oil and gas industry.
On the measures adopted to ensure the integrity of the process, Daddy emphasized that applicants for screening have never had a direct contact with any of the Staff members of PTDF and that selection for screening was strictly online with zero human contact and that scores are collated by the server and locked up.
The selection is based on qualification and the strength and quality of research proposals submitted by the candidates, he assured.
Parts of the requirements, he said, is to have the Federal Character Commission monitor the process to ensure fair balance in all the geopolitical states.
The ‘PTDF Oversees Scholarship’ provides an opportunity for successful applicants to either study in the UK Universities or the German and French collaborated universities, Daddy noted.
On her part, Hafisat Lawal Kontagora, another panelist, commended the management of PTDF for implementing the recommendations made in previous reports on the screening.
Kontagora also commended some of the candidates especially those from outside the oil and gas sector for their efforts in crafting some interesting proposals tailored to the industry needs.
Kontagora advised prospective applicants to ask the right questions and seek suggestions from successful candidates on ways to draft bankable doctorate research proposals, if they must succeed, as the ‘PTDF Oversees Scholarship’ is a highly competitive one.
Also speaking on the success of the screening and that of the PTDF, Aaomo Iorliam, another panelist and a specialist in Cyber Security, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence, commended candidates who put up proposals in the field of AI, Machine language, and Data science.
Iorliam commended the Management of PTDF for putting up a good outing in terms of organisation and welfare as well as the candidates for their orderliness which he said contributed to the smooth conduct of screening at the Centre.
Alete Godwill, a Chemical Engineer, and participant at the ‘PTDF Oversees Scholarship’ screening with the research proposal; ‘The Extraction of Bioethanol from Solid Waste in Nigeria’, in an interview with Journalists shortly after his screening, spoke on the need to advance the use of bio-fuel in the country, saying the world is transiting to clean energy source.
Godwill expressed satisfaction with the process and commended PTDF for the manner in which they conducted the exercise.
Other participants expressed similar sentiments, saying that the process was transparent.
They urged the management of PTDF to keep up the standard as it would go a long way in strengthening the drive for capacity-building, local content creation, manpower development in the oil and gas sector, and boost the nation’s economy.