The Federal Government has announced the opening of applications for the 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund Overseas Scholarship Scheme, giving Nigerian postgraduate students the opportunity to pursue advanced studies abroad.
The development was disclosed on Monday via a post on X by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun.
“FG has announced the commencement of applications for 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarships overseas,” the post said.
Details published on the PTDF website indicate that the scholarship is available for MSc and PhD programmes in courses related to the oil and gas industry. Successful applicants will enjoy comprehensive funding, covering tuition fees, return flight tickets, accommodation, monthly living stipends, health insurance and bench fees where applicable.
“The 2026 Overseas MSc and PhD Scholarships provide access to world-class training, research facilities, and global expertise, while developing indigenous capacity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” the PTDF statement said.
The scholarship destinations include the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Malaysia. For PhD candidates studying in the UK, PTDF explained that the programme will run on a split-site model, allowing scholars to conduct research at both the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna and selected UK universities such as Robert Gordon University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Portsmouth.
PTDF stressed that the selection process is highly competitive. “Only candidates who demonstrate outstanding merit and suitability will be considered,” the statement said.
According to the agency, applicants will be assessed based on academic performance, quality of research proposals, professional affiliations and the relevance of their studies to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
For the MSc category, candidates must possess a minimum of Second Class Lower (2.2) or Second Class Upper (2.1) in their first degree, have completed the National Youth Service Corps programme, be computer literate, and hold at least five O’Level credits, including English Language and Mathematics. PhD applicants must also submit a research proposal not exceeding five pages, outlining their objectives, methodology and data collection strategy.
“All applicants must ensure their National Identity Number (NIN) is verified prior to application, and multiple applications or submission of falsified documents will result in automatic disqualification,” the PTDF statement added.
Applications are to be completed online via scholarship.ptdf.gov.ng for approved programmes at PTDF partner institutions. The deadline for submission is February 27.
