Six hundred pioneer beneficiaries of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC local Post Graduate Scholarship programme have received their award letters in a ceremony in Port Harcourt Rivers State.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku restated management’s commitment towards human capacity development of people of the oil rich region.
The scholarship award to six hundred beneficiaries for local Post Graduate programme will bring to eight hundred of the recipients of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC yearly scholarship programmes, with the already running Foreign Postgraduate Scholarship programme having two hundred Beneficiaries.
Speaking at the maiden Local Post Graduate Scholarship award ceremony in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku explained that the local scholarship programme was novel, being a decision taken during stakeholders engagement.
Dr. Ogbuku who described the selection process as transparent, devoid of politics and nepotism, expressed joy that over thirty
beneficiaries of the Foreign Postgraduate Scholarship programme made distinction during the last graduation ceremony in UK.
The MD who revealed that the performance of the pioneer students of the Local Scholarship programme would determine if the number would increase from six hundred, stated that the beneficiaries would be monitored in the various schools to evaluate their characters and academic performance.
He reminded them that it would be a one off payment, as such, the Beneficiaries were asked to strive to finish their programmes within at most two academic sessions.
Giving details about the programme, Director Education Health and Social services NDDC, Dr. George Uzonwanne told the people that Over forty six thousand applications were received, twelve thousand of them sat for the Computer Based Test, CBT, while five thousand were invited to oral interview, from where six hundred that made the the cut off mark of sixty three and above qualified for the scholarship.
Some of the Beneficiaries while appreciating NDDC for the gesture expressed joy over the opportunity.
The beneficiaries promised to justify their qualification.
