By Rhoda Godwin
Abuja — The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has charged beneficiaries of the programme’s foreign post-graduate scholarship scheme to excel in their studies and uphold Nigeria’s image abroad, warning that they must not disappoint President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government, and the Niger Delta.
Otuaro gave the charge on Thursday at a pre-departure briefing for a new batch of 12 scholars heading to universities in the United Kingdom for post-graduate studies. The event, held at the PAP headquarters in Abuja, featured orientation sessions on social and cultural relations in the UK, academic expectations, scholarship administration, as well as the presentation of laptops to each beneficiary to support their research and thesis work.
The PAP administrator described the scholars as a critical legacy of the programme’s academic sponsorship initiative, noting that their success would reflect positively on the nation and justify continued investment in human capital development.
“Today, we are sending you outside the country for post-graduate programmes in the United Kingdom and we believe that we are sending out our best. There should be no room for laxity. Put in your best and make the best for yourselves,” Otuaro said.
He explained that President Tinubu and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, are pleased with the growing number of beneficiaries being deployed overseas, despite earlier doubts in some quarters that the foreign scholarship component of the programme would be discontinued.
According to him, the President and the NSA remain genuinely committed to the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta through strategic investments in education and capacity building.
“We give credit to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some people thought foreign scholarship deployments would no longer be possible, but the President likes what we have been doing. The NSA and his office also appreciate it. That is the feedback we are getting,” Otuaro stated.
He urged the beneficiaries to justify the confidence reposed in them by excelling academically and maintaining discipline, adding that the PAP had adopted a rigorous selection process to prevent abuse and ensure only qualified candidates benefit.
Otuaro further stressed that the courses of study were deliberately selected to meet industry needs and to prepare the scholars to contribute meaningfully to national development upon completion of their programmes.
“When you conclude your programmes and return home, you will contribute your quota to the development of the region and the country. If you do well at the MSc level and qualify for PhD, there is nothing stopping us from supporting your academic progress,” he added.
He reassured stakeholders in the Niger Delta of his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustained investment in human capital, describing education as a key driver of long-term regional and national growth.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Arafiena Shekinah Nkem, who will study MSc Project Management at the University of Liverpool, and Omokaro Rick Efosa, admitted for MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management at Coventry University, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, the NSA, and the PAP leadership for the opportunity. They pledged to study diligently and represent Nigeria positively abroad.
The scholarship programme forms part of the Presidential Amnesty Programme’s broader strategy to empower youths from the Niger Delta with globally competitive skills and knowledge, in line with the Federal Government’s development agenda.
