The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has warned applicants for its 2026/2027 overseas scholarship against using the award as a route to permanent relocation abroad, stressing that beneficiaries are required to return to Nigeria after completing their programmes.
The caution came on Thursday, April 9, 2026, during the screening of 743 candidates from the South‑South zone at the PTDF Centre for Skills Development and Training in Igwuruta, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Peter Egheneji, Deputy Manager and Team Lead of PTDF’s Port Harcourt Centre, said all scholarship recipients must sign a bond obligating them to come back after their studies.
“When you are qualified for the scholarship, you sign a bond with the Fund that after the programme, you are going to come back. You don’t have the latitude to decide to stay abroad because you have signed a bond before the scholarship was awarded,” Egheneji explained.
The South‑South screening, conducted alongside similar exercises in the other five geopolitical zones, includes 503 Master’s and 240 PhD candidates.
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Shortlisting was based on academic performance, O‑level results, first degrees, and research proposals.
Professor Godwin Chukwu, a panel member, said the process also evaluates how candidates’ backgrounds match the technical needs of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“We assess what the student has achieved at the undergraduate level and how their knowledge can be applied to a Master’s programme that benefits Nigeria’s oil and gas operations,” Chukwu stated.
The exercise, which started on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, is scheduled to end next week. Chukwu noted that candidates have demonstrated strong academic potential.
Several applicants described the process as well-organized and pledged to contribute to national development if selected.