Four PAP Scholars Earn Distinctions as 16 Graduate with UK Master's Degrees, Otuaro Hails Tinubu's Human Capital Drive, Charges Beneficiaries to Transform Niger Delta

By Tessy Ogbemi

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has recorded another milestone in its human capital development drive as 16 offshore postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries graduated with Master's degrees from leading universities in the United Kingdom, with four students earning Distinction.

The outstanding scholars who graduated with Distinction are Nina Orubebe (Financial Management), Tonbra Tonlagha (International Hospitality and Tourism), Kemien Egbekun (Law), and Simon Douye (Construction Engineering Management).

The graduates completed specialised programmes in Software Engineering, Oil and Gas, Data Science and Engineering, Financial Management, Law, Construction Engineering Management, Global Public Health, and other critical disciplines at renowned institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Coventry University, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Dundee, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Bedfordshire, Aston University, the University of Cambridge, the University of South Wales, and Northumbria University.

Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, congratulated the graduates for their academic excellence and discipline, describing their achievements as further evidence that the Federal Government's investment in education is yielding tangible results for the Niger Delta.

He noted that since assuming office in March 2024, the PAP has produced 111 Master's and Doctoral degree holders—57 from foreign universities and 54 from institutions within Nigeria—strengthening the region's pool of skilled professionals.

Otuaro said the scholarship expansion aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises human capital development as a pathway to sustainable peace and economic prosperity in the Niger Delta.

According to him, PAP scholars both at home and abroad have continued to justify the Federal Government's confidence by excelling academically and completing their programmes within schedule.

The PAP Administrator also dismissed what he described as "frivolous smear campaigns" by detractors opposed to the expansion of the scholarship scheme, insisting that no amount of blackmail would derail the programme's mandate.

"Our decision to expand the scholarship scheme is anchored on the massive support and strong desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bridge the region's human capital development gap under the Renewed Hope Agenda," Otuaro said.

He added that the latest batch of overseas graduates further validates the Federal Government's commitment to empowering Niger Delta youths through quality education, innovation, and global exposure.

Otuaro expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their unwavering support, noting that their commitment is laying a solid foundation for lasting peace, stability, and shared prosperity across the Niger Delta.

He urged the beneficiaries to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired abroad toward driving development, innovation, and economic transformation in their communities.

The PAP boss disclosed that the programme has so far awarded about 9,000 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships in Nigerian tertiary institutions, alongside 247 offshore postgraduate scholarships, reinforcing its commitment to producing globally competitive professionals capable of advancing sustainable development in the Niger Delta.