Oil and gas host communities would be allocated additional slots in the in-country scholarship scheme of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, an official of the fund has revealed.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the commencement of interviews for 1,643 shortlisted candidates for the 2023/2024 In-country Scholarship Scheme, Head, In-country Scholarship, PTDF, Mr. Surajo Abdullahi said while the scholarship award is based on merit, all states of the Federation would be represented with special attention given to oil and gas bearing communities.

Abdullahi, who disclosed that the beneficiaries would be sponsored for Masters and Doctorate programmes in public universities across the country, said it was part of the fund?s mandate to develop human capacity for the oil and gas industry.

Speaking on arrangements for host communities, he said: ?We do give (additional slots) to them. It is just like the oversea scholarship scheme, where they also have additional slots, in the in-country scholarships, we do give them more slots?.

While allaying fear of manipulations, he stressed that the entire process was transparent with university professors and doctorate holders involved in the interview process across the country.

?It is transparent because all the panelists are drawn from Nigerian universities and they are professors and specialists in their fields and they interview scholars aspiring to study in their fields?, he added.

Also speaking, a Commissioner in the Federal Character Commission, Abubakar Bunu, said so far, the process has been smooth, adding that the FCC would ensure that even though it was merit based, all states of the Federation would be given equal opportunity.

?Merit is the key word but we will look at the states of the Federation and how it will be balanced so that no state is left behind. The credentials of the candidates would be checked and the performance at the interview would also be considered?, he stated.

On his part, one of the aspiring scholars, Mr. Tertsea Vandeyoon, from Benue State commended PTDF for instituting a transparent process and expressed optimism that his performance at the interview would lead to the grant of the scholarship for Ph.D studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna. (Vanguard)

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