Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — No fewer than 1,050 candidates are currently undergoing oral interviews for foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme, to be awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The oral interview which will span over eleven days, according to NDDC, is for the candidates that were successful during a Computer-Based Test written by 5,000 applicants earlier in November.
According to the Commission, the scholarship programme covers engineering disciplines such as
Biomedical, Software, Marine, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic and Robotic Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Math/Sciences, Medical Sciences, Hospitality Management, Law, Architecture and Environmental Science.
Speaking, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku said that the guiding principles for the interview were equity, fairness and transparency, hence the reason he was on ground to monitor the process.
Ogbuku further disclosed that 200 candidates will be selected for the foreign post graduate scholarships, at the end of the examination, adding that the study allowance has been raised from $30,000 to $40,000 for each candidate.
He said, “We are sending the scholars out to represent our country. They are going to be our worthy ambassadors. The interview panel was randomly selected to ensure fairness because the 200 scholars to be selected will be our ambassadors.”
On why the NDDC has not increased the number of scholarship beneficiaries, Ogbuku explained that funding had been a challenge, stating, “We increased the allowance for the studies from $30,000 to $40,000 and this affected our finances, making it necessary to create a balance.
“However, from next year we hope to reduce the number of foreign scholarships because of the high foreign exchange rate, but we will introduce scholarships for undergraduate students in Nigerian universities. This will enable us to accommodate more persons in the scholarship programme.”
Also the Commission’s Director for Education, Health and Social Services, Dr George Uzonwanne, expressed optimism that the transparent process adopted in selecting beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship scheme would continue to produce first class performers.
He said that the consultant for the Scholarship programme assembled interview panelists from different disciplines in universities across the Niger Delta region.
Speaking on behalf of the prospective scholars, Miss Kio Belema Iyala, commended the NDDC for giving Niger Delta youths the opportunity of having an enriching global experience through education.
She said that the selection process for the scholarship was hitch free and encouraging.
“The timing was accurate and the whole process was smooth. Then after a week, I got a message to come for this interview today. I will surely come back and apply all that I learned to the development and progress of my community and the Niger Delta region.”
