The Federal Government has announced the opening of applications for the 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Overseas Scholarship Scheme, aimed at boosting Nigeria’s capacity in the oil and gas sector.
The announcement was made on Monday through a statement shared on social media by the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun.
According to the statement, the scholarship will enable qualified Nigerian postgraduate students to pursue studies in selected foreign institutions.
Under the scheme, successful candidates will study in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Malaysia, with placements available for both master’s and doctoral programmes in disciplines relevant to the petroleum industry.
Information published by the PTDF explained that the scholarship covers tuition fees, return air tickets, accommodation, living allowances, health insurance and bench fees where applicable.
The programme is designed to expose beneficiaries to advanced training, research facilities and global expertise, while strengthening indigenous technical capacity in Nigeria.
For master’s degree applicants, eligibility requirements include a minimum of a second class lower degree, completion of the National Youth Service Corps programme, computer proficiency and at least five credit passes in O-Level examinations, including English Language and Mathematics.
Applicants seeking PhD placements are required to submit a research proposal of no more than five pages, outlining their research objectives, methodology and proposed data sources.
The PTDF further disclosed that PhD candidates studying in the United Kingdom will be placed on a split-site arrangement, allowing them to conduct research between the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna and partner universities in the UK.
These include Robert Gordon University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Portsmouth.
The agency cautioned that the scholarship process is highly competitive, stressing that only candidates with outstanding academic records and relevant research interests will be shortlisted.
Assessment will be based on academic performance, quality of research proposals, professional affiliations and the relevance of the proposed course to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Applicants were also advised to ensure their National Identity Number (NIN) is properly verified before submitting applications.
PTDF warned that multiple entries or falsified documents would attract automatic disqualification.
Interested candidates are to apply online through the official PTDF scholarship portal. Applications will close on February 27.
