By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Kaduna — The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has shortlisted 6,193 candidates for interviews under its Overseas Scholarship Scheme, from a total of 38,398 applicants nationwide.

A breakdown shows that 4,101 candidates are competing in the MSc category, while the remaining shortlisted applicants fall within the PhD stream.

At the Kaduna Centre serving the North-West, officials disclosed that 681 MSc candidates are currently undergoing screening, while 287 PhD applicants are scheduled for interviews next week.

The Team Lead for the exercise, Bashir Ahmed Rufai, said the shortlisted candidates emerged after a rigorous selection process based on academic performance and eligibility criteria.

He explained that the exercise was decentralised across the six geopolitical zones, with designated centres aimed at enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and fairness.

“The number reflects the scale and competitiveness of the scheme. From over 38,000 applicants, just above 6,000 reached this stage,” he said.

Rufai added that the selection process combines automated ranking with physical screening, with emphasis on academic qualifications, including first-class, second-class upper, and strong second-class lower degrees.

Also monitoring the exercise, a Federal Commissioner with the Federal Character Commission, Muhammad Auwal Na’iya, commended the organisers for maintaining transparency and due process.

“I have observed the screening and interview panels, and the process appears well-organised. Candidates also seem satisfied with the conduct,” he said.

Some applicants who spoke to journalists expressed optimism despite the competitive nature of the programme.

One of the applicants, Umar Hussaini, a Computer Science graduate applying for MSc Environmental Energy Science Technology and Management, said he hopes to contribute to addressing technical challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

“There are gaps in critical systems, both hardware and software, and I believe I can contribute to improving them if given the opportunity,” he said.

Another candidate, Sulaiman Musa, a graduate of Surveying and Geoinformatics from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, said he intends to apply geospatial technologies such as GIS and remote sensing in oil exploration, pipeline monitoring, and environmental management.

Musa, who also participated in the exercise last year, expressed confidence in his chances.

“My expectation is high. I believe I have improved and hope to emerge among the top candidates from my state,” he said.

The PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme is a federal initiative aimed at building indigenous capacity in the oil and gas sector through advanced training in leading institutions abroad.