The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has commenced nationwide interviews for 5,885 shortlisted candidates under its 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme.
The exercise, which began on Tuesday, is being conducted simultaneously across six centres representing the country’s geopolitical zones, with officials emphasising that the final selection will be based on merit and federal character principles.
Speaking at the commencement of the interviews in Abuja, PTDF’s Deputy General Manager for Education and Training, Bello Mustapha, said the process would run from April 7 to April 17.
“We have officially started the interview process for the 2026–2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme. After briefing the panel members, interviews commenced as scheduled across the six centres,” Mustapha said.
He listed the interview locations to include Abuja for the North-Central zone, Bauchi for the North-East, Kaduna for the North-West, Rivers for the South-South, Enugu for the South-East, and Oyo for the South-West.
According to him, the number of applicants for the programme has risen significantly, making the selection process more competitive.
“More than 38,000 candidates applied this year, but only 5,885 were shortlisted for interviews. This clearly shows how competitive the process has become,” he stated.
Findings indicate that while applications increased by over 30 per cent compared to the previous year, the number of shortlisted candidates rose at a slower rate, thereby reducing the overall selection ratio.
Mustapha explained that successful candidates would be awarded scholarships to study in partner institutions in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Malaysia.
“We maintain partnerships with institutions in the UK, Germany, France, and Malaysia. The purpose of these interviews is to identify candidates who will eventually receive scholarships to study in these countries,” he said.
Addressing concerns about fairness, Mustapha noted that the final selection would reflect equitable representation across states in line with Nigeria’s federal character principle.
“The final selection will strictly follow federal character guidelines. Each state is allocated a specific number of slots, and monitoring bodies are present to ensure transparency,” he added.
He further clarified that although candidates could attend interviews at any centre nationwide, their state of origin would determine final placement.
“Candidates are free to attend interviews at any centre, but the final selection will still be based on state representation,” he explained.
On the screening process, Mustapha said only candidates who met stringent criteria were shortlisted.
“We applied clear parameters in the screening process.
Candidates must have strong academic qualifications, such as First Class or Second Class Upper degrees, or a Second Class Lower with relevant work experience. Academic records, including O-Level results, are also assessed,” he said.
He, however, declined to disclose the exact number of scholarships to be awarded, noting that it would depend on available funding.
“The final number of beneficiaries will be determined by the budget and financial provisions approved by management,” Mustapha added.
