PTDF says scholars abscond due to lack of employment in Nigeria’s oil sector

Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, has complained that a good number of students trained abroad through its scholarship scheme for studies/ research in the oil and gas sector have refused to return to Nigeria upon completion of studies.

Mrs Bola Agboola who is the Head of the Overseas Scholarship Scheme of PTDF, stated this in her keynote address tagged, “The Role and Impact of PTDF on Nigerian Students/Youths and our Institutions” during a one day PTDF students sensitization/capacity building program held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Thursday.

Agboola noted that due to lack of employment by oil and gas companies, many of the students that the PTDF sponsored chose to remain in Canada, US, Germany, China or any of the foreign countries where they would be readily employed with a better salary .

Speaking further, she disclosed that the PTDF has put measures in place to enable the students or beneficiaries to be brought home upon completion of studies to help develop the Nigerian economy.

Agboola, who felt bad that the alumni of the scheme are scattered across the world, said PTDF is working to harness them for the benefit of the country, adding that over 8000 students have been sponsored since the inception of the scheme.

“We also have to harness our alumni, we have a lot of them scattered all over the world. How do we harness them for our own benefit and also improve recruitment and the number of scholars of our product in the oil and gas industry, this is the major problem for us”.

“We have trained over 8000 students and some of them after the training remain over there, all our investments are retained over there in the US, UK, Canada etc.

“Also there is a complaint that when they come back to Nigeria they don’t get a job, they are finding it difficult to be absorbed into the oil and gas industry.

“To that end, we need to create more cooperation and partnership with the oil and gas industry to ensure our people are employed in good positions.”

She appreciates the Scheme’s 100 percent commitments to building indigenous capacity in the oil and gas sector even as she announced that PTDF is looking for different ways of generating funds as the licensing fees which is their major source of income was no longer sustainable for operations.

Speaking of a way forward, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Oladoja Olushola urged the students to take the opportunity presented by PTDF with seriousness, curiosity, and a spirit of innovation.

“You are not just beneficiaries-you are torchbearers for the next generation of professionals who will shape the future of Nigeria’s petroleum industry and beyond,” he said.