…Hails Tinubu For Prevailing Peace In Niger Delta
Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Presidential Amnesty Programme has dispatched 150 Niger Delta beneficiaries for postgraduate studies in universities across the United Kingdom, bringing the number of offshore scholarship deployments under its current leadership to 243 in 2026.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Presidential Amnesty Programme on August 21, 2026, by Mr Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator.
The latest beneficiaries were sent out following a pre-departure orientation held at the PAP headquarters in Abuja, where the programme’s Administrator, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, described the scholarship initiative as an investment in human capital development and the future of the Niger Delta.
Otuaro urged people of the Niger Delta to support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, citing the administration’s efforts toward peace, security and development in the region.
He said, “We are again here to send some of the most brilliant and vibrant youths of the Niger Delta for post-graduate studies in select disciplines in the UK.
“We are able to do this because, our father and leader, Mr President is committed to the peace, security and development of the Niger Delta.
“I must say that as a people, we should make sure we vote massively to ensure his victory in the 2027 general elections. This is the best way to show gratitude to a President who has taken these deliberate steps to help our people and the region.”
According to Otuaro, 93 beneficiaries were deployed for offshore postgraduate programmes in January and May, while the latest batch takes the 2026 figure to 243. He added that about 270 beneficiaries were already studying in UK universities before the latest deployments.
The scholarship beneficiaries are studying disciplines including cybersecurity, software engineering, data science analytics, law, forensic audit, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, global public health and oil and gas engineering.
Otuaro said the PAP currently has 8,700 beneficiaries studying in Nigeria, while 270 beneficiaries have been deployed to offshore universities, comprising 11 undergraduates, 238 master’s students and 21 PhD candidates. He added that 57 had graduated, many with distinctions, while 248 remained in training.
He said, “That is our investment for a greater and better tomorrow because it will help our communities and our region tomorrow”, Dr Otuaro added.
The PAP Administrator attributed the expansion of the scholarship programme to President Tinubu’s support under the Renewed Hope Agenda and expressed appreciation to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his supervision, insights and contributions to the programme.
Otuaro charged the new scholars to take their studies seriously, obey the laws of the United Kingdom and the regulations of their institutions, and return home after their programmes to contribute to their communities and nation-building.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Opukeme Gideon, an MSc Cyber Security student at the University of Aberdeen, and Afiyagba Peredisabofa, an MSc Oil and Gas student at Coventry University, thanked President Tinubu and Otuaro for the opportunity and pledged to study hard and make Nigeria and the Niger Delta proud.
Goodwill messages were delivered by PANDEF Chairman, Dr Boladei Igali; Prof. Ben Binebai of Niger Delta University; Niger Delta activist, AnnKio Briggs; Delta State Governor’s Senior Policy Adviser, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon; and Ijaw Youth Council President, Dr Doubra Okotete. They commended the continuation and expansion of the PAP scholarship programme, describing it as a legacy that could benefit generations of Niger Delta youths.
