PTDF Screens 229 Candidates for Post-graduate Scholarship in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) yesterday, conducted interview for the about 229 candidates that registered for the 2023/2024 post-graduate scholarship for South-South zone.

The federal government agency is saddled with the responsibility of developing indigenous human capacity and petroleum technology to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry.

However, candidates who came from different areas of the zone, had their interview at the Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPS) University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Speaking with journalists during the event, the PTDF team lead for local scholarship scheme, for the South-South geopolitical zone, Ere Iyalla, revealed that about 12 panelists conducted the interview.

He said: “229 candidates registered in this zone, of which 99 of them are for PhD, 130 are for MSc. This is one of our key programmes for many years. So, this is just the 2023/2024 version of the programme”.

Explaining the criteria for selection of candidates for the scholarship, Iyalla said they include, “your academic performance, your research potential, your leadership qualities and suitability for post graduate studies.

“To start with, we have a preselection process which helped to filter the best, so we have the best of the best. “

Iyalla added that “those that wish to study in our local institutions, this is the in-country scholarship scheme and is targeted towards Nigerians who want to study in the country. So, by the scholarship, we support Nigerians to study in the country’s universities”.

Some of the candidates expressed delight that they were chosen for the scholarship. They told journalists during interview that the entry process was transparent.

Adebayo Ayodeji, a proposed beneficiary of the PhD scholarship said during the interview he impressed the panelists with his oral submission on his research proposal.

Ayodeji who disclosed that his PhD research is in the area of “Corrosion Monitoring and Prediction in Petroleum Refining Unit using Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, said it is a great opportunity that will enable him harness the proposed research.

His words: “I applied for a PhD scholarship and in the interview hall it was a nice experience. The interviewers were warm, they asked questions around my proposal for my PhD. I gave my response and the knowledge gap that is in the research and what the research will table in the oil and gas industry.

“They were quite impressed by my proposition and I am hopeful that the scholarship comes eventually. I intend to harness the resources AI, to be able to predict and monitor corrosion in the oil and gas sector”.

On her part, Mrs. Susan Emerure, an MSc Environmental Toxicology student at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Delta State, said though she was nervous, but become confident during interview as questions were asked from her areas of study.

“I was scared at first, but the interview was not stressful. We were asked to explain what we are studying, to know if we really understand what we are embarking on. We were asked questions on our proposal and how it relates to PTDF”, Emerure disclosed.