DDC expands Postgraduate scholarships to Nigerian Universities, boosts opportunities for 600 indigent students

Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), announced on Tuesday during an interview session for foreign postgraduate scholarship candidates that the commission’s postgraduate scholarship programme will be expanded to include Nigerian universities.

Under the revised scheme, 600 indigent students from the Niger Delta region will receive scholarships for postgraduate studies locally, a significant increase from the 200 beneficiaries previously awarded foreign scholarships.

“The 600 students will benefit from the expanded scheme, compared to the 200 who currently receive foreign scholarships,” Dr. Ogbuku stated, underscoring the commission’s commitment to broadening access to advanced education for disadvantaged youths in the region.

Dr. George Uzonwanne, Director of Education, Health, and Social Services at the NDDC, detailed the stringent, multi-stage selection process designed to uphold integrity and meritocracy.

According to Dr. Uzonwanne, more than 30,000 applicants from across the nine states of the Niger Delta initially registered for the scholarship programme. Of these, approximately 6,000 candidates passed the first hurdle—the Computer-Based Test (CBT).

“Of the 6,000 who passed the CBT, 2,500 applicants scored 70 percent or higher, enabling them to proceed to the oral interview stage, which will determine the final beneficiaries of the foreign postgraduate scholarships,” Dr. Uzonwanne explained.

He emphasized that candidates receive their CBT scores immediately upon completion, ensuring real-time feedback and transparency. The oral interviews, currently underway, are intended to assess candidates’ research proposals, academic aptitude, and potential for leadership in their chosen fields.

Dr. Ogbuku assured stakeholders that the selection of the 600 local scholarship recipients would adhere to the same transparent principles.

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He explained that once the foreign scholarship beneficiaries are finalized, the next cohort of high-scoring applicants—those who meet the programme’s stringent academic and financial-need criteria—will be considered for awards to Nigerian universities.

A dedicated committee, comprising NDDC officials and independent education experts from the region, will oversee the final selection to ensure fairness and alignment with regional development goals.

“We will conduct the local scholarship selection with full transparency, ensuring that only the most qualified and needy candidates are chosen,” Dr. Ogbuku affirmed, adding that recipients will be required to pursue postgraduate degrees in fields critical to the Niger Delta’s development, such as environmental management, petroleum engineering, public policy, and sustainable agriculture.

Dr. Ogbuku praised past beneficiaries of the commission’s foreign scholarship programme, noting their impressive academic achievements at international institutions. He cited the December 2023 cohort, in which 189 students were awarded scholarships for postgraduate studies abroad.

Many of those scholars have since completed master’s and doctoral programmes at leading universities worldwide, earning accolades in fields ranging from energy policy to public health.

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“Our previous scholars have returned with cutting-edge knowledge and fresh perspectives that have already begun to impact local communities and governance structures positively,” Dr. Ogbuku remarked.

The expansion of the postgraduate scholarship programme is part of a broader NDDC strategy to invest in human capital development.

In addition to educational scholarships, the commission recently launched a ₦30 billion fund aimed at fostering young entrepreneurship throughout the Niger Delta.

Through a partnership with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA), these funds will support startups and small businesses led by young entrepreneurs, with a focus on sectors such as agribusiness, renewable energy, and information and communications technology (ICT).

“By channeling these resources through NDCCITMA, we aim to provide training, mentorship, and seed capital to over 5,000 young entrepreneurs,” the commission stated in a recent press release.

The multi-pronged approach—combining foreign and local postgraduate scholarships with robust entrepreneurship funding—reflects the NDDC’s mandate to catalyze sustainable development in the Niger Delta.

As the current selection cycle progresses, thousands of applicants anxiously await the final list of scholarship awardees. The NDDC has scheduled the announcement of foreign scholarship recipients for late July 2025, with local scholarship awards to follow in August.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurship programme’s call for applications is set to launch in September, with the first disbursements of seed capital planned for early 2026.