The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has sent another batch of 15 Niger Delta beneficiaries to the United Kingdom for postgraduate studies, reinforcing its education-focused reintegration strategy aimed at building a new cadre of skilled professionals for the region.
The deployment, which forms the first phase of the programme’s May 2026 foreign scholarship placements, will see the scholars undertake master’s degrees in biomedical science, oil and gas engineering, data science, cyber security, software engineering, automotive engineering, and communication, culture and media, among other fields.
At a pre-departure briefing in Abuja, the PAP Administrator, Dennis Brutu Otuaro, noted that several of the beneficiaries qualified for the opportunity on the strength of their outstanding academic records, including first-class degrees.
The scholars were also provided with laptops to support their academic work.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, Otuaro linked the consistency in both local and international scholarship deployments to the support of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the oversight of the Office of the National Security Adviser led by Nuhu Ribadu. He described the scholarship initiative as a practical expression of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in its commitment to peace-building and sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
Otuaro urged the beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies and to uphold the values of discipline and patriotism as representatives of both Nigeria and the Niger Delta in the UK. He emphasised that the programme was deliberately investing in human capital development as a pathway to long-term regional stability, adding that the beneficiaries would be expected to return home after their studies to contribute meaningfully to community development.
Earlier, the Head of Education at PAP, Charles Ariye, offered guidance to the scholars on academic expectations and cultural adjustment in their host country.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ikiere Victor, who is proceeding to Coventry University for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, expressed appreciation to the federal government and the PAP leadership for the opportunity, pledging that the scholars would serve as worthy ambassadors of the nation.
