Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Thirty young Nigerians have been awarded fully funded scholarships under the NNPC/NAE Postgraduate Scholarship Award Scheme to pursue Masters degrees in Nigeria and abroad.
The scheme offers 10 scholarships of $50,000 each for overseas Masters programmes in disciplines such as Geosciences, Engineering, and Petroleum Economics, while 20 others received scholarships worth N5 million each for postgraduate studies in Nigerian universities.
The awards were jointly presented by NNPC Ltd.’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Oluwaseyi Omotowa, represented by the Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, and the Managing Director of Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd., NAE, Mr. Fabrizio Bolondi.
Speaking at the ceremony, Omotowa charged the beneficiaries to maximize the life-changing opportunity.
“This scholarship is not just a financial support; it is an investment in your future and in Nigeria’s economic development. We expect you to take full advantage of it by pursuing your passions and contributing meaningfully to the growth of our country,” he said.
Also addressing the recipients, Mr. Bolondi reiterated NAE’s commitment to human capital development.
“Since its inception in 2004, this scheme has been a platform to support bright Nigerian graduates. We are proud to have supported over 350 scholars so far, and today’s awardees represent the future leaders who will make a difference across industries,” he stated.
Instituted in 2004 through the NNPCL/ENI partnership, the initiative has awarded over 350 scholarships to Nigerian students to date, with 116 studying abroad and 255 within Nigerian universities.
NNPC Ltd. noted that the scholarship scheme is part of its broader agenda of community development and national capacity building.
“This is one of the many ways NNPC Ltd., through its JV and PSC operations, continues to make a direct impact in the lives of Nigerians and their communities,” the company said.
