The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Burutu Otuaro, has urged Niger Delta people to reciprocate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support for the region by voting massively for him in the 2027 presidential election.
Otuaro made the call in Abuja on Thursday while speaking at the pre-departure orientation for 150 Niger Delta beneficiaries of PAP’s offshore postgraduate scholarship programme.
The latest deployment brings to 243 the number of beneficiaries sent abroad by PAP this year. Ninety-three beneficiaries were deployed in January and May, while another 150 were deployed in August.
Otuaro said about 270 beneficiaries had already been deployed to universities in the United Kingdom before the latest batch, where they are studying disciplines including cybersecurity, software engineering, data science, law, forensic audit, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, global public health and oil and gas engineering.
Describing the scholarship programme as an investment in the future of the Niger Delta and Nigeria, Otuaro said the large-scale educational interventions were aimed at sustaining peace and stability while addressing the region’s human capital development gap.
“We are again to send some of the most brilliant and vibrant youths of the Niger Delta for postgraduate studies in select disciplines in the UK,” he said.
“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.”
The PAP administrator said the programme had recorded significant growth under his leadership, with about 8,700 beneficiaries currently studying in Nigerian universities.
He disclosed that 270 beneficiaries had been deployed to offshore universities, comprising 11 undergraduates, 238 Master’s students and 21 PhD candidates.
According to him, 57 offshore beneficiaries had graduated, many with distinctions, while 248 were still undergoing their programmes. He added that 54 Master’s and doctoral graduates had also emerged from onshore universities.
Otuaro said the 2024/2025 academic year alone produced more than 50 First Class and over 134 Second Class Upper graduates under the programme.
He said the latest batch of 150 beneficiaries included about 56 First Class graduates and approximately 140 Second Class Upper graduates, describing the achievement as evidence of PAP’s commitment to building a strong human resource base for the Niger Delta.
“That is our investment for a greater and better tomorrow because it will help our communities and our region tomorrow,” he said.
Otuaro attributed the expansion of the scholarship scheme to what he described as the unprecedented support of the Tinubu administration under its Renewed Hope Agenda.
He expressed appreciation to the President and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their support, supervision and professional contributions to the programme.
The PAP administrator charged the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and become good ambassadors of Nigeria and the Niger Delta.
He urged them to return home after their programmes to contribute to the development of their communities and the nation, while also advising them to respect the laws of the United Kingdom and the regulations of their respective institutions.
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 scholarship opportunity.
They pledged to work hard and make Nigeria and the Niger Delta proud.
In separate goodwill messages, the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Dr Boladei Igali; Prof. Ben Binebai of Niger Delta University; Niger Delta activist Ann-Kio Briggs; Senior Policy Adviser to the Delta State Governor, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon; and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) President, Dr Doubra Collins Okotete, commended the Federal Government for sustaining the programme.
They also praised Otuaro for expanding the scholarship scheme, describing it as a legacy capable of benefiting generations of Niger Delta youths.
The stakeholders particularly commended the attention given to gender balance in the selection of beneficiaries, noting the favourable female-to-male ratio.
The beneficiaries received orientation on social and cultural dynamics, academic expectations, security considerations while studying abroad, PAP’s obligations to beneficiaries and economic prudence.
Other stakeholders at the event included PANDEF Secretary, Engr. Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack; Treasurer, Hon. Mrs Ifeoma Agbomah; and members of Ijaw Women Connect, led by its President, Mrs Rosemary Oduone.
