FG amnesty scholarship hits 3,900 local beneficiaries, 200 abroad

The federal government says it has expanded its amnestyscholarship to benefit more local and abroad recipients. Dennis Otuaro, administrator of the Presidential AmnestyProgramme (PAP), said the move is to ensure more indigent students andcommunities 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 scholarshipscheme, was established in 2011 for the formal education of delegates. Otuaro addressed 2025/2026 beneficiaries of the schemeduring an interactive session in London on Saturday. The expansion, he said, involved increasing the in-countryscholarship deployment from 3,800 in the 2024/2025 academic year to 3,900 inthe 2025/2026 session, and deploying about 200 foreign scholarships. The engagement provided an opportunity for the students todiscuss issues about their welfare and challenges. Otuaro attributed the increase to the massive support of thepresidency and the office of the national security adviser (ONSA). He stressed that he was greatly encouraged by the presidentand the national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. “We want the scholarship programme to impact more studentsand communities in the Niger Delta. That’s why we have expanded it andincreased formal education opportunities,” Otuaro said. The PAP helmsman asked students to justify the federalgovernment’s investment through hard work and achieving good grades. He also urged them to conduct themselves as responsibleambassadors of Nigeria while in the UK, stressing that “you will be addingvalue to your families and communities when you complete your programmessuccessfully.” “The knowledge you are receiving in your institutions todayis to enable you to plan for yourself and prepare for the future. Whateverknowledge you gain cannot be taken from you,” Otuaro said. “So as PAP scholarship students, we expect responsible andgood behaviour from you. “The government is investing heavily in you, and you havethe obligation to justify the investment. Be agents of change and avoid acts ofmischief while in the UK.”

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