Four Nigerian students bag distinction as PAP sponsors 16 master's graduates abroad

• Four PAP-sponsored scholars graduated with distinction from overseas universities.

• Sixteen beneficiaries completed master's degrees in the UK and US across several professional fields.

• PAP says it has now produced 111 master's and PhD graduates since March 2024.

• The programme has awarded about 9,000 local scholarships and 247 overseas scholarships to Niger Delta beneficiaries.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has recorded another major milestone after 16 beneficiaries of its overseas postgraduate scholarship scheme graduated with master's degrees, with four of them finishing with distinction.

At a time when many Nigerians are struggling with the high cost of education and foreign exchange, the achievement has been highlighted as another success for the Federal Government-backed scholarship programme aimed at developing skilled professionals from the Niger Delta.

According to the PAP, the four graduates who earned distinctions are:

• Nina Orubebe – Financial Management

• Tonbra Tonlagha – International Hospitality and Tourism

• Kemien Egbekun – Law

• Simon Douye – Construction Engineering Management

The remaining scholars completed postgraduate degrees in fields such as software engineering, oil and gas, data science and engineering, financial management, law, construction engineering management, and global public health.

The beneficiaries studied at several top universities in the United Kingdom and the United States, including Carnegie Mellon University, Coventry University, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Dundee, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Bedfordshire, Aston University, the University of Cambridge, the University of South Wales, and Northumbria University.

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Reacting to the achievement, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, congratulated the graduates for completing their programmes on schedule.

He said the success of the scholars shows that the Federal Government's investment in education is paying off and would help build the skilled workforce needed to drive development in the Niger Delta.

Otuaro said: "Our decision to expand the scholarship scheme is anchored on the massive support and strong desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

"This new set of 16 successful overseas postgraduate students sponsored by the PAP has reinforced the Federal Government’s investment in the education of Niger Delta youths to enhance sustainable peace and socio-economic advancement in the region."

He also encouraged the graduates to put their newly acquired knowledge into good use by contributing to the development of their communities and Nigeria as a whole.

The PAP boss also addressed criticism surrounding the expansion of the scholarship programme, insisting that the agency would not be distracted.

According to him: "We will not succumb to the frivolous activities of mischief-makers and detractors because many of them are unhappy that we have increased educational scholarship opportunities for poor Niger Deltans, based on the mandate of the President.

"We will continue to deliver on President Tinubu’s mandate for the Niger Delta. No amount of blackmail or campaigns of calumny will deter us because the President and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, are delighted with what we are doing."

Otuaro also thanked President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for supporting the programme, saying their backing is helping to strengthen peace, stability and economic opportunities across the Niger Delta.

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The agency disclosed that since Otuaro assumed office in March 2024, the programme has produced 111 master's and PhD graduates, made up of 57 graduates from foreign universities and 54 from Nigerian institutions.

It also revealed that about 9,000 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships have been awarded in Nigerian tertiary institutions, while 247 beneficiaries have received scholarships to pursue higher degrees abroad.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was established in 2009 following the Federal Government's amnesty initiative for former Niger Delta militants. While it initially focused on disarmament and reintegration, it has increasingly shifted attention to education, vocational training and skills development as part of efforts to reduce unemployment, discourage renewed militancy and promote lasting peace in the region.