The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has commenced the second phase of interviews for the 2026/2027 PhD award under its Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS), targeting 2,102 PhD applicants across Nigeria.
Speaking during the screening on Monday in Abuja, Dr Bello Mustapha, Deputy General Manager, Education and Training, PTDF, said the ongoing exercise followed the completion of MSc interviews conducted in four centres nationwide.
According to him, Abuja accounts for 912 candidates, scheduled for interviews over five days, out of the 2,102 shortlisted nationwide.
Mustapha said the selection process followed the Federal Character principle, ensuring that candidates compete within their respective states, with top-performing applicants emerging based on merit.
He said the number of successful candidates to be awarded scholarships would depend strictly on budgetary provisions, with final decisions to be made by PTDF management after the interview process.
The PTDF official also disclosed that while the UK remains a destination for MSc scholars, the Fund has domesticated its PhD programme through a split-site arrangement involving partner universities, with candidates spending part of their study period abroad.
“Other countries participating in the scheme include Malaysia, Germany and France.
“The fund received over 30,000 applications for both MSc and PhD programmes, from which about 5,800 candidates were shortlisted for interviews,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a delegation from the Federal Character Commission (FCC) was on ground to Monitor the ongoing PTDF 2026/2027 Scholarship selection for fairness
Speaking during a monitoring visit, the State Coordinator of the commission, Mr John Uchara, accompanied by the Commissioner representing Benue State, Prof. Eugene Aleba, lauded PTDF for demonstrating compliance with federal character principles in the ongoing exercise.
Uchara said the commission’s presence was to ensure transparency, equity, and balance in the process, noting that the oversight was necessary to address concerns about marginalisation and imbalance in national opportunities.
“The exercise is open to candidates from all states of the federation, reinforcing inclusiveness in the selection process.
“Our duty is to ensure that what is being done here reflects the federal character principles, to avoid complaints from any part of Nigeria.
“From what we have seen, there is serious compliance with the principles. However, the final assessment will be based on the overall intake and how well it reflects national balance,” he said.
The FCC official, while reaffirming its commitment for continuous monitoring to ensure fairness and transparency, urged PTDF to consider expanding the scope of the programme to accommodate more qualified applicants.
A panellist at the ongoing interviews, Prof. Bashir Aliyu, from Modibbo Adama University, Yola, described the quality of candidates as highly impressive, noting that the process was progressing smoothly and transparently.
“We have started the interviews very well, and the exercise is progressing smoothly with candidates demonstrating strong academic and research potential.
“The panel focuses primarily on assessing the overall quality of candidates, including their academic background, research capacity, and the relevance of their proposed PhD work to national development.
“We look at their first degree, their master’s performance, their ability, and the quality of the work they present, especially in terms of innovation, potential for patenting, and usefulness to the country,” he explained.
