The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has begun screening 746 shortlisted candidates for its 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme in Rivers State.

The exercise, which started on April 7 and will run until April 17, is being conducted simultaneously across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including centres in Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna, Enugu, Oyo, and Rivers.

At the Port Harcourt centre, PTDF officials disclosed that 503 candidates are being assessed for Master’s degrees, while 243 are being interviewed for PhD programmes.

According to PTDF representatives, candidates were shortlisted based on academic performance, including O’level results, undergraduate grades, and research proposals, with the aim of selecting the most qualified applicants.

Panelists at the exercise noted that the scholarship programme continues to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, as many past beneficiaries have gone on to play key roles in the industry.

Some applicants commended the process, describing it as smooth and transparent, while expressing optimism that the programme will equip them with global knowledge to address challenges in Nigeria’s oil, gas, and environmental sectors.