Education
PTDF shortlists over 8,000 candidates for overseas scholarship interview

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has disclosed that more than 8,000 candidates have been shortlisted for interview for its Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) for Masters and PhD award.
Alhaji Bello Mustapha, Head, Overseas Scholarship Scheme Division, PTDF disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of selection interview for shortlisted candidates for the 2022/2023 academic session.
It was gathered that the PTDF under its strategic direction provides scholarships to Masters and PhD degree applicants in partnership with universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and Malaysia.
PTDF sponsors students/awardees in all major disciplines related to oil and gas and energy industries, including engineering, geosciences, environmental studies, computing and management.
Mustapha said the selection interview was a continuation process which began in Dec. 20, 2021, through publications in some national newspapers inviting qualified Nigerians nationwide to apply.
Mustapha said under the 2022/2023 academic session, it advertised the scholarship and called for application and more than 26,000 people applied, while over 8,000 were selected for interview.
He said the PTDF OSS was an annual programme which began in 2000, aimed at providing Nigerian students with the intellectual foundation and skills needed to participate actively in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
“We conduct the interviews in the six geopolitical zones of the country but presently we are doing in five geo- geopolitical zones of the country this year because of the issues of insecurity in the southeast.
“So, we are using Ibadan, Bauchi, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kaduna while South East candidates are asked to choose any convenient centre from other zones.
“It will run for three weeks in Abuja, then two weeks in the other centres apart from Bauchi. Bauchi will run for one week because we do not have many candidates in Bauchi centre,’’ he said.
He said the final selection would depend on its budgetary allocation.
According to Mustapha, the scholarship is running based on the availability of funds which determines the final selection.
Mustapha, while describing the interview as one of the criteria for the scholarship, said that at the end, the best performing candidates would be chosen as concession would be given to candidates from oil producing states.
He said the fund had sponsored many Nigerians over the years and some of them had returned to the country and were contributing to the economy.
“Some of them are working in Shell, NNPC Ltd., we have a lot of scholars and panelists that have proven themselves, some are even in the universities and academic environment contributing optimally from what they have studied abroad.
“We have 18 universities that we have strategic partnerships with in UK, and we have in Germany, Malaysia, France and China.
“We are not using China this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic issues.
“They are beginning with the September session,’’ he said.
(NAN)
Education
NUC grants ESUT full accreditation for Law, 7 other programmes

The National Universities Commission, (NUC), has given full accreditation to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), for her Law programme.
According to the Public Relations Officer of ESUT, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, this is contained in a letter addressed to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, on Wednesday in Enugu by the NUC.
Ani said that in the letter, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu said the report was contained in the result of the October/November 2024 accreditation of academic programmes in Nigerian universities.
Ani disclosed that other programmes in the institution accredited by the NUC include Master of Science in Business Management; Education Computer Science; Education Physics and Agricultural Engineering.
Other accredited programmes he said were Quantity Surveying; Urban and Regional Planning; and Applied Microbiology.
He said that the letter quoted Section 10 (1) of the Education National Minimum Standard and Establishment of Institutions, Act CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as empowering the NUC to lay down minimum academic standards for all academic programmes taught in Nigerian universities.
He said the session also empowers the NUC to accredit such programmes.
Africa
When the Gatekeeper Fumbles: JAMB’s Error and the Future of Our Youth

When the Gatekeeper Fumbles: JAMB’s Error and the Future of Our Youth
By Matthew Eloyi
It is not every day that a public official publicly sheds tears. And so, when the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, broke down while admitting to errors in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), it was a deeply emotional moment. But make no mistake: while the tears may have reflected remorse, they cannot wash away the consequences of what is, quite frankly, a systemic failure.
Let us be clear — JAMB is not merely an examination body. It is a gatekeeper to higher education in Nigeria. It is the bridge between dreams and their realisation for millions of young Nigerians. To fumble that responsibility is not a technical error; it is a breach of trust with life-altering consequences.
With nearly 380,000 candidates now required to retake the exam due to technical glitches and irregularities, one cannot help but ask: How did we get here? And more importantly, why does this keep happening?
For years, JAMB has marketed its transition to computer-based testing as a step toward modernisation. Yet each year seems to expose new cracks in its implementation — from faulty computer systems and power outages to incomplete biometric verification and poorly configured questions. These are not unforeseeable anomalies. They are predictable outcomes of poor planning, lack of oversight, and inadequate investment in infrastructure.
Imagine the psychological toll on the students, many of whom studied day and night, only to be met with malfunctioning systems and flawed questions. Some walked out of examination halls in tears, their confidence shattered, their futures placed in limbo. For those in remote or under-resourced areas, the technical errors are compounded by infrastructural and economic disadvantages. What we are witnessing is not just an exam failure; it is an institutional failure that amplifies inequality.
JAMB’s decision to allow affected candidates a resit is necessary, but it is insufficient. What about those who may never realize they were victims of the glitch? What about those whose faith in the process has been irreparably broken?
Professor Oloyede’s tears may have been sincere, but what Nigerian students need now is not emotion — it is accountability. Heads must roll, systems must be overhauled, and the entire structure must be audited. We cannot allow a body that plays such a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s intellectual future to operate with such recklessness.
The UTME is a rite of passage for Nigerian students; it should not become a roulette of misfortune. Until JAMB can guarantee a glitch-free, fair, and standardised assessment, its credibility will remain on shaky ground.
In the end, our children deserve better. They deserve an education system that works; not one that breaks down and apologises after the damage is done.
Education
Petroleum institute matriculates 1,625 students

The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, has matriculated a total of 1,625 students in her 2024/2025 academic session, with a charge to exhibit good character.
The ceremony, held on Friday in Effurun, Delta, was a combined matriculation of the Full time and School of Industrial Continuing Education Programme students.
Addressing the matriculants, Dr Samuel Onoji, the Principal and Chief Executive of the PTI urged the students to exhibit good character while in the institute.
Onoji, while congratulating the matriculants, warned that the institute had zero tolerance for social vices.
He mentioned some of the social vices to include: examination misconduct, physical and sexual assault, indecent dressing, prostitution, cultism, stealing, certificate forgery, bullying and harassment.
Onoji advised the students to be focused and determined, curious and innovative, respectful and responsible and be proactively engaged in extracurricular activities in the institute.
Onoji also encouraged the students to access the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) programme of the federal government to alleviate their financial needs.
He said that the institute received her first NELFUND disbursement on Feb. 11, 2025, adding that the beneficiaries had been paid.
The PTI boss said the institute was dedicated to training middle level manpower for the oil and gas industry.
“Today marks a significant milestone in your academic journey, and I am delighted to share this experience with you.
“PTI has established international collaborations and partnership that enhance our curriculum, facilities and research capabilities that are industry-focused and aligned with the industry to address identified skill gap in the oil sector.
“Our programmes are designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to excel in dynamic and highly technical fields,” he said.
Onoji urged the students to uphold the highest behavioral standard, respect, and integrity in line with the rules and regulations of the institute.
The PTI boss emphasised the importance of hard work and dedication, saying that the oil and gas industry was highly competitive and dynamic.
He said that the campus was a safe and inclusive environment that promoted learning, growth and personal development.
Onoji assured parents of the matriculants that the institute was committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment that would enhance academic excellence, personal growth and character development.
One of the matriculants, Mr Monday Ejiroghene, thanked his parents and the institute for the admission and promised to justify the confidence reposed on him by way of exhibiting good character.
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