AfriPulse
The federal government says it has expanded its amnesty
scholarship to benefit more local and abroad recipients.
Dennis Otuaro, administrator of the Presidential Amnesty
Programme (PAP), said the move is to ensure more indigent students and
communities in the Niger Delta benefit from the scholarship initiative.
The PAP was initially created in 2009 for the disarmament,
demobilisation, and reintegration of militants in the Niger Delta.
Its education unit, which administers the scholarship
scheme, was established in 2011 for the formal education of delegates.
Otuaro addressed 2025/2026 beneficiaries of the scheme
during an interactive session in London on Saturday.
The expansion, he said, involved increasing the in-country
scholarship deployment from 3,800 in the 2024/2025 academic year to 3,900 in
the 2025/2026 session, and deploying about 200 foreign scholarships.
The engagement provided an opportunity for the students to
discuss issues about their welfare and challenges.
Otuaro attributed the increase to the massive support of the
presidency and the office of the national security adviser (ONSA).
He stressed that he was greatly encouraged by the president
and the national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
“We want the scholarship programme to impact more students
and communities in the Niger Delta. That’s why we have expanded it and
increased formal education opportunities,” Otuaro said.
The PAP helmsman asked students to justify the federal
government’s investment through hard work and achieving good grades.
He also urged them to conduct themselves as responsible
ambassadors of Nigeria while in the UK, stressing that “you will be adding
value to your families and communities when you complete your programmes
successfully.”
“The knowledge you are receiving in your institutions today
is to enable you to plan for yourself and prepare for the future. Whatever
knowledge you gain cannot be taken from you,” Otuaro said.
“So as PAP scholarship students, we expect responsible and
good behaviour from you.
“The government is investing heavily in you, and you have
the obligation to justify the investment. Be agents of change and avoid acts of
mischief while in the UK.”
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