Head of Overseas Scholarship at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Mrs. Bolanle Kehinde Agboola, has disclosed that 8,196 Nigerians have been recipients of PTDF scholarships over the past 20 years.

This came as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Students Engagement, Sunday Asefon, commended the PTDF for its sustained investment in education, training, and human capital development in Nigeria.

The duo spoke at a One Day Students Sensitisation and Capacity Building Programme jointly organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement and the PTDF themed, ‘PTDF, A Tool for Young People’s Development in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry; held at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Agboola said the scholarships aim to build human capacity for the oil and gas industry.

“We are here to sensitise students on the activities of PTDF as a government agency under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources charged with developing capacities for the oil and gas industry,” she stated.

Agboola outlined PTDF’s three-pronged approach as institutional capacity building, human capital development through scholarships, and technology transfer.

“The agency offers overseas scholarships at top global universities and in-country scholarships at Nigerian institutions. Since PTDF’s establishment in 2001, it has supported tertiary and secondary education, targeting technical skills for the oil sector,” she disclosed. She, however, expressed concern over the penchant by the beneficiaries not to return to Nigeria due to limited job opportunities, urging oil companies to collaborate to retain talent.

She encouraged South-South students to seize PTDF opportunities even as she advised researchers to commercialise their work to address industry challenges.

On his part, Asefon emphasised his commitment to ensuring that the voices, talents, and contributions of Nigerian students are recognised and integrated into the nation’s oil and gas development agenda. He encouraged students to take full advantage of the workshop, describing the oil and gas sector as one that now requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving engineers, digital innovators, environmental scientists, legal experts, and community mobilisers.

“I urge the PTDF to continue placing students at the centre of national development. Nigeria’s greatest resource isn’t beneath the ground, but in the potential of its people.

“Our young people are ready to learn, to lead, and to contribute. But readiness alone is not enough. What they need is access — access to knowledge, mentorship, and opportunities.

“This event is more than a workshop; it’s a doorway — an opportunity to bridge classroom knowledge with industry needs,” he said.