54 Amnesty scholars depart Nigeria for UK studies

Fifty-four beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme’s offshore postgraduate scholarship scheme have departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom to begin studies at various universities.

The scholars departed Abuja and arrived in London on Friday, according to a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Igoniko Oduma, on Saturday.

They are part of 150 beneficiaries who underwent a pre-departure orientation in August following their deployment by the PAP Administrator, Dennis Brutu Otuaro.

The latest deployment brings to 243 the number of offshore postgraduate scholarships deployed by the programme this year.

The beneficiaries will undertake postgraduate programmes in fields including software engineering, cybersecurity, global public health, oil and gas engineering, law, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, forensic auditing and data science analytics.

Otuaro urged the scholars to remain focused on their studies and conduct themselves responsibly while in the UK.

He also charged them to obey the laws of their host country and comply with the rules and regulations of their respective universities.

The PAP administrator said the beneficiaries were expected to return to Nigeria after completing their programmes and apply their knowledge to the development of their communities and the country.

“Education is the vehicle for the socio-economic advancement and sustainable peace and stability of the Niger Delta.

“Investing in the education of the youths of the region is a sure way of guaranteeing a greater and better tomorrow for the region,” Otuaro said.

He attributed the increased scholarship deployments to what he described as the strong support of President Bola Tinubu for the Presidential Amnesty Programme under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Otuaro also acknowledged the support of the Office of the National Security Adviser and other stakeholders in implementing the programme.

“We express our profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his massive support for the programme. Without his strong backing, the huge deployments would not have been possible,” he said.

“We are also very grateful to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his efficient supervision, deep insights and professional input that have helped the programme.”

He urged the scholars to justify the investment in their education by becoming good ambassadors of Nigeria and the Niger Delta.