Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has issued 200 letters to scholars to pursue post graduate studies outside the country as part of efforts to equip the youths the needed expertise in various fields of human endeavours.
The NDDC’s efforts to supporting human capital development was harped on at the just-concluded Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Forum held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital as the Commission pledged to develop the region in all needed ramifications.
Presenting the scholarship letters to the successful candidates during a pre-departure and award ceremony in Port Harcourt, Chiedu Ebie, Chairman of the NDDC Board, charged the scholars to be ambassadors of the Niger Delta region as they carry the flag of Nigeria to foreign lands.
He advised the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunities given to them to acquire technical expertise for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta region.
Ebie described the scholarship scheme as an important component of the NDDC’s human capital development programme, noting that education is the most powerful weapon for changing the fortunes of the Niger Delta region.
Also addressing the scholarship beneficiaries, Samuel Ogbuku, PhD, NDDC Managing Director, enjoined the scholars to be of good conduct.
He assured them that funds for their fees and accommodation would not be delayed, stating that their success was a testament to their resilience.
He observed that previous beneficiaries of the scholarship programme set enviable standards for the current set to emulate, saying “You need to come back and add value to the society and make the Niger Delta proud.”
Ogbuku counselled the NDDC scholars to avoid distractions in order to excel in their studies, adding, “We are sending you out to go and study and come back to impact the Niger Delta region and the entire Nigerian society for good.”
He reminded the beneficiaries that they owe the Niger Delta a duty to succeed, promising however that “any of our scholars that gets a distinction in the Master programme stands a chance to be sponsored for a Ph.D. programme.”
Earlier, George Uzonwanne, the NDDC Director of Education, Health and Social Services, stated that out of 56,000 applicants, only 200 were selected through a transparent electronic examination process.
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He said, “I congratulate the successful candidates who applied and went through a seamless selection process.”
Uzonwanne, explained that the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship programme started in 2010.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Azuka Chinedu, the best performing scholarship student, thanked the NDDC for giving them the opportunity to go for further education abroad.
He pledged that the beneficiaries would do their best to be good ambassadors of the region and return to contribute to the development of the Niger Delta region.