The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to expand its Foreign Postgraduate Scholarship Programme to include training opportunities within Nigerian universities, aiming to boost human capital development in the Niger Delta region.
During an assessment visit to the scholarship interview venue in Port Harcourt, NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku revealed that the expanded scheme will benefit 600 indigenes from the commission’s mandate states, a significant increase from the current 200 beneficiaries under the foreign scholarship program.
In a statement signed by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Nwakama, Dr. Ogbuku commended the interview panelists for their work and urged them to remain impartial to ensure only the most qualified candidates receive the scholarship. He noted that past beneficiaries had excelled academically and maintained good reputations.
Dr. George Uzonwanne, NDDC’s Director of Education, Health, and Social Services, highlighted the transparency of the selection process. He explained that over 30,000 applicants were whittled down to 6,000 candidates who took a Computer-Based Test (CBT), with 2,500 scoring 70 percent or higher and moving on to an oral examination. Candidates were reportedly pleased with the process, especially because they received their scores immediately after completing the tests.
Prof. Beleudanyo Fente, chairman of the interview panel, praised the NDDC for its commitment to improving education and infrastructure in the region, including roads, hospitals, solar lighting, and piped water. He pledged that the panel would maintain a fair, transparent selection process to award scholarships to the most deserving individuals.
Among the candidates, Mr. Benedict Chigozie expressed satisfaction with the transparent and well-organized process, thanking the NDDC for creating opportunities for less privileged students. Miss Blessing Chinonso, a physically challenged candidate, also thanked the commission and appealed for more provisions to support candidates with disabilities.
