PTDF moves to curb foreign scholarship costs with new Petroleum College

BAUCHI — The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has said the establishment of the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK), will significantly reduce the cost of its overseas scholarship programme.

The Deputy Manager (Services) at CPESK, Mr Sirajo Abdullahi-Fari, disclosed this on Tuesday in Bauchi during the inauguration of the 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme screening and selection exercise.

He explained that the college would offer postgraduate programmes in Sciences, Petroleum Technology/Law, and Management, aimed at strengthening local expertise and reducing reliance on foreign training through strategic transnational partnerships.

Abdullahi-Fari added that students would benefit from local academic mentorship alongside exposure to institutions in the United Kingdom, including the University of Strathclyde, Robert Gordon University, and the University of Portsmouth.

He noted that PTDF currently trains scholars in universities across the United Kingdom, France, China, Malaysia, and Germany to build human and institutional capacity, as well as managerial skills for Nigeria’s oil, gas and energy sector.

“The training is designed to assess candidates’ capacity to meet national needs in the oil and gas sector, including leadership qualities, communication skills, clarity of purpose, and suitability for overseas academic programmes,” he said.

On the selection process, Abdullahi-Fari revealed that 424 candidates, comprising MSc and PhD applicants were being screened at the Bauchi centre in the North-East by 21 assessors.

He added that the exercise was being conducted simultaneously across centres in the six geopolitical zones, with final selections reflecting the federal character principle to ensure equitable state representation.

One of the assessors, Prof. Abubakar Musa-Umar, said the exercise was designed to scrutinise credentials and evaluate candidates’ research capacity and its potential impact on the sector and society.

He explained that each assessor conducted independent evaluations to ensure transparency and credibility, noting that strict criteria such as academic performance, relevant work experience and overall qualifications were being applied.

According to him, candidates’ academic records, including first degrees and secondary school results, were being thoroughly assessed.

A candidate, Atiku Berama, who applied for MSc in International Business and Management, commended the scheme, describing the selection process as fair and seamless