PAP sends over 140 scholars to UK varsities, says move aligns with Tinubu’s agenda

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has sent more than 140 of its scholarship recipients to pursue post-graduate studies at universities in the United Kingdom.

The PAP Administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, disclosed this on Thursday during a pre-departure briefing and orientation session at the programme’s headquarters in Abuja.

He expressed confidence that the beneficiaries would contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic progress of the Niger Delta and Nigeria after their studies.

At the ceremony, the beneficiaries were each presented with brand new laptops to aid their academic work and research.

In a statement issued by Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the PAP boss, Otuaro explained that the initiative was part of a broader push to strengthen the human resource base of the Niger Delta and close gaps in human capital development.

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He noted that the large-scale deployment under the PAP’s education component supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the region.

According to him, the students were selected for professional and industry-relevant fields that would enhance the region’s growth.

The PAP boss said, “If you put the number of beneficiaries we are deploying today together, over 140, all of them are going for post-graduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom.

“We are confident that when they complete their studies and return, they will add value to the socio-economic advancement of the Niger Delta, and the human capacity resource of the region will be enriched. They will add value to our communities, the region, and the nation.

“What we are doing today is a deliberate effort to take the development agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to the people in the communities of the Niger Delta.

“When the President appointed me last year, he gave me a mandate and that is to take this programme to the people. That is what we are doing.

“We have other aspects of the PAP. However, this foreign post-graduate scholarship deployment takes cognizance of professional areas that are industry-competitive. We also deploy beneficiaries for other programmes in-country.”

Otuaro urged the students to avoid distractions and focus on their studies, reminding them to justify the Federal Government’s investment by serving as good ambassadors for their families, communities, the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

Other speakers at the event included Edgar Daniel, Technical Assistant to the PAP Administrator; Maj. Gen. M.O. Erebulu, Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army; and Dr. Charles Ariye, Head of PAP’s Education Department. They addressed the beneficiaries on cultural integration in the UK, the diplomatic and security implications of studying abroad, and navigating academic challenges.

Some beneficiaries, among them Gift Gbaminido and Amadimati Greatman, expressed gratitude to the PAP for the opportunity and promised to maximize the scholarship for personal and regional development.