The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has presented award letters to 189 successful candidates for its 2023/2024 Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme.

Making the presentation during a pre-departure and award ceremony in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, commended the successful candidates, stating that their success was testament to their resilience as individuals.

Ebie described the scholarship scheme as an important component of the Commission’s human capital development programme, noting that education was the most powerful weapon for changing the fortunes of the Niger Delta region.

He commended the NDDC Management for sustaining the scholarship programme and advised the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them.

Addressing the scholarship beneficiaries, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, declared that the process of selecting them was transparent, noting that competition for the Scholarship programme was intense as the Commission had to select from over 25,000 online applicants.

Ogbuku charged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the foreign universities by applying themselves studiously to their academic programmes, so as to excel in their chosen fields of study.

He assured the scholars that funds for their school fees and accommodation would not be delayed. He told them that previous beneficiaries of the scholarship programme set enviable standards for them to emulate.

Ogbuku advised the scholarship beneficiaries to avoid distractions in order to excel in their studies, saying, “We are sending you out to go and study and come back to impact the Niger Delta region and the entire Nigerian system for good.”

He said the exercise was proof that the Niger Delta region was flush with talented and intelligent youths, stating: “Any of our scholars that gets a distinction in the Master programme will be sponsored for a Ph.D. degree.”

The NDDC Director, Education, Health and Social Services, Dr George Uzonwanne, in his opening remarks, urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them to acquire technical expertise for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta region.

Uzonwanne stated that the successful ones were selected through a transparent electronic examination conducted at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

He explained that 20,000 candidates applied online for the scholarship programme. Out of this number, he said, 5,000 wrote the Computer Based Test after which successful candidates were invited for the Oral interview.

Uzonwanne, explained that the Foreign Post- Graduate Scholarship Scheme, which was started in 2010, was meant to equip Niger Delta youths with relevant training and skills.

The NDDC director said that he was optimistic that the process adopted in selecting beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship scheme would continue to produce first class performers. He observed that the best performing candidate came from Ilaje in Ondo State.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the best performing scholarship student, Miss Omogbemi Olayemi, thanked the NDDC for making the selection process fair and transparent. She pledged that the beneficiaries would do their best to be good ambassadors of the region.

•PHOTO: The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, (left) congratulating the best performing scholarship student, Miss Omogbemi Olayemi, during a pre-departure and award ceremony for the Foreign Post Graduate Scholarship in Port Harcourt. Second left is Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, followed by the Director, Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. George Uzonwanne.

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