Tinubu’s Niger Delta Human Capital Drive On Course – Otuaro

Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has said efforts to address the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta are ongoing.

He cited the sponsorship of over 9,000 beneficiaries for undergraduate and postgraduate studies to buttress his assertion.

Otuaro said the beneficiaries had been deployed in universities within and outside Nigeria under the programme’s scholarship scheme.

Addressing another batch of 35 postgraduate beneficiaries who departed Nigeria for universities in England and Scotland in the United Kingdom, he said the scholarship programme was part of efforts to expand access to higher education for youths in the Niger Delta.

“The deliberate effort to reduce the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta is on course under President Bola Tinubu, and he is resolutely committed to it.

“This is reflected by the over 9,000 scholarship beneficiaries we have deployed within and outside the country because of the President’s favourable disposition to expansion of educational sponsorships and other initiatives of the programme,” he said.

The beneficiaries are studying courses including forensic audit, construction engineering management, data science analytics, law, software engineering, oil and gas engineering, cybersecurity, global public health and fintech analytics.

The 35 beneficiaries were among 150 overseas postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries who participated in a pre-departure orientation organised in August.

Two previous batches of 54 and 31 beneficiaries had already departed for the United Kingdom, according to Otuaro.

He said the PAP had dispatched 243 offshore scholarship beneficiaries this year.

Otuaro urged the latest beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies and avoid activities that could jeopardise their academic pursuits or stay abroad.

“You are expected to focus on your studies because that is the primary purpose of your academic journey overseas. Gird yourself, go for excellence, and don’t engage in activities that will endanger you and your studies,” he said.

He said the beneficiaries would be expected to contribute to peace, stability, community development and nation-building in the Niger Delta after their studies.

Otuaro also expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their support and supervision of the programme.

He further commended stakeholders of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for their contributions towards sustaining peace and security in the Niger Delta.