The Petroleum Technology Development Fund said it has shortlisted over 5,000 applicants nationwide for the award of scholarships for the 2023/2024 academic session overseas scheme.

The Head, Oversees Scholarship Scheme in the PTDF, Mrs Bolanle Kehinde-Agboola revealed this on Monday at a selected interview exercise for the shortlisted candidates for MSc and PhD postgraduate programmes.

According to her, the selection interview was in continuation of the application process which commenced on February 13, 2023, through publications in some national newspapers, inviting qualified Nigerians to apply.

“What is happening here today is the interview for the award of scholarship to Nigerians for the 2023/2024 academic session.

“We have shortlisted over 5,000 applicants to partake in the exercise which is going on in the six geo-political zones.

“The first criteria is that you must be a Nigerian. For the master’s programme the applicant must be a student of any of the oil and gas fields like engineering, geology, computer sciences, environmental sciences and management.

“You must have a minimum of second-class upper in any of these fields for you to be qualified,’’ she said.

Kehinde-Agboola also said the process of applying for the exercise was that the agency would open the application windows at the end of the year for candidates to apply.

She further added that PTDF was an agency charged with the capacity to strengthen and develop the oil and gas sector, indicating that the essence of the programme was to train those who would bring innovation into the sector.

She added that the aim of the exercise was also to offer the applicants the necessary skills required to function effectively in the industry.

“The candidates are sent abroad to study the relevant skills. This scholarship scheme is running in the United Kingdom, while “we also have what is called strategic partnership in France, Germany, Malaysia and China.

“This scholarship interview scheme will run for one week nationwide and the number of successful applicants depends on its budget for this year.

“The agency has two types of collaborations in this programme, the United Kingdom collaboration and the strategic partnership collaboration.”