The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced the expansion of its Postgraduate Scholarship Programme to include universities within Nigeria—a strategic move aimed at supporting more indigent students from the region.
Managing Director of the Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this on Tuesday during the oral interview session for candidates shortlisted for the Commission’s foreign postgraduate scholarship programme, held in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Ogbuku revealed that while the existing foreign scholarship scheme currently supports 200 students, the expanded initiative will award postgraduate scholarships to an additional 600 students enrolled in Nigerian universities.
“The 600 students will benefit under the local scheme, in addition to the 200 already studying abroad through the foreign scholarship programme,” he stated.
Addressing the selection process, NDDC Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. George Uzonwanne, said the Commission adopted a rigorous and transparent system to ensure that only the most qualified candidates were selected.
According to him, over 30,000 candidates applied for the scholarship this year, but only 6,000 successfully passed the Computer-Based Test (CBT) phase.
“Out of the 6,000, about 2,500 applicants scored 70 percent or above and have progressed to the oral interview stage. The final list of beneficiaries for the foreign postgraduate scholarships will be drawn from this group,” Uzonwanne explained.
He further emphasized the transparency of the selection process, noting that candidates received their CBT scores immediately after completing the test.
Dr. Ogbuku assured that the same transparent criteria would be applied to the local scholarship selection, reiterating the Commission’s commitment to merit-based awards.
He also commended previous recipients of the foreign scholarship programme for their exceptional academic performance abroad, describing them as worthy ambassadors of the Niger Delta region.
