PAP Sends Another 31 Postgraduate Scholars to UK, Otuaro Urges Academic Excellence

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has urged beneficiaries of the programme’s offshore postgraduate scholarship to pursue academic excellence and conduct themselves responsibly throughout their studies.

Otuaro gave the charge as another batch of 31 PAP scholarship beneficiaries departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom on Friday to commence studies at various universities.

The scholars, who departed from Abuja and arrived in London, were among 150 beneficiaries who participated in a pre-departure briefing organised in August following their deployment by the PAP Administrator.

They were preceded by another batch of 54 beneficiaries who left the country last week.

The beneficiaries will undertake postgraduate programmes in fields including forensic audit, construction engineering management, data science analytics, law, software engineering, oil and gas engineering, cybersecurity, global public health and fintech analytics, among others.

Otuaro, who has deployed a total of 243 overseas postgraduate scholarships this year, urged the scholars to be deliberate about excellence and make the most of the opportunity provided by the Federal Government.

He said the beneficiaries had a responsibility to justify the investment and sacrifice made by the government by excelling in their studies.

According to him, the investment in the education of Niger Delta youths would yield significant benefits for the region and Nigeria in the years ahead.

“The huge benefits of the investment in the Niger Delta youths' education will be felt in the years to come.

“Apart from closing the human capital development gap, we are building a community of intellectuals that will be the light of our region in the interest of peace, stability and development of communities in the country,” Otuaro said.

The PAP Administrator described education as a crucial tool for promoting sustainable peace and stability, development and socio-economic growth in the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his support for the Presidential Amnesty Programme and its initiatives, saying the Niger Delta was benefiting from the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Otuaro also commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his support and contributions to the implementation of the programme.

He thanked PAP stakeholders for their cooperation and encouragement, while reiterating his commitment to promoting sustainable peace, stability and development in the Niger Delta.