210 graduates bag NDDC foreign scholarship
By Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has given out award letters to 210 graduates from the Niger Delta region for its 2019 post-graduate foreign scholarship programme.
The NDDC acting Managing Director, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, who addressed the scholarship beneficiaries, during a pre-departure briefing and orientation at the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, urged them to take the opportunity with both hands and fulfil the investment of hope that the commission puts on them.
Prof. Brambaifa, who was represented by the NDDC Director for Education, Health and Social Services, Gochua Okejoto, said that the programme presents the scholars a new vista of opportunities to deepen their knowledge and equip them with skills to conquer the world.
“You are the new generation of well-trained professionals who will help take the Niger Delta to the next level. You are the future of the Niger Delta, the people whose professional competences and exposure will fill the gaps in the oil and gas industry, as well as in infrastructure development, information technology, agriculture and aquaculture in order to facilitate sustainable livelihoods which is key to creating wealth and abolishing regional poverty,” he stated.
The NDDC chief executive stressed that beyond the physical and technical infrastructures provided by the commission to improve the living conditions of the people, “we must develop the human capital infrastructure that ensures that we offer sustainable livelihoods to Niger Deltans and equip them to creatively, effectively and proactively employ all we offer to make the Niger Delta the sum of our shared dreams.”
Prof. Brambaifa said that since the scheme started in 2010, the objectives have been to bridge the gap in the management cadre of the oil and gas sector of the Niger Delta region, address the dearth of professional human capital and capacity among the youth.
Other objectives include preparing the beneficiaries for leadership and management positions in the oil and gas sector, produce professionally enhanced and skilled post- graduate beneficiaries who can match international standards and take over the leadership of the oil and gas sector in the nearest future.
He stated that “we have so far produced 1, 634 competent and better qualified youth who are bringing their new learning to bear in different sectors of the Niger Delta economy. And there are many heart-warming stories, outlining the excellent Niger Delta spirit, which have emerged and continue to emerge from this very important intervention.
“For instance, five of our master’s degree students graduated with distinction from Coventry University, England and one from Aberdeen University. Ubong Peters, a Ph.D student, won the three minute thesis competition in Australia, while Augustine Osarogiagbon of Memorial University completed his Ph.D in less than the stipulated time.
“He was offered a dual Ph.D programme with two graduate assistants to work with as well as a post-doctoral fellowship. Also, Charles Igwe, as a Ph.D student in construction engineering at Concordia University, Canada, saved the Montreal Area Municipality over $1 billion by redesigning the TURCOT interchange road construction project costing $3.67 billion.”
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Nelson Ologhadien, who is going to the University of Dundee for a doctorate degree in law, thanked the NDDC for making the selection process fair and transparent. He promised that they would put in their best to be good ambassadors of the region.
