By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PDTF) yesterday conducted interviews for 5,885 students who were shortlisted from the over 38,000 applicants for its 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS).
Addressing reporters in Abuja, PTDF’s Deputy General Manager (DGM) for Education and Training, Dr. Bello Mustapha, said the interview was being held silmotanuesly in the six geopolitical zones.
The DGM said the scholarship was for the Master degree level.
He said: “We are here to commence the interview process for the 2026/2027 Overseas Scholarship Scheme process.
“I think we selected 39,000 from the people who applied for the scholarship.
“But we should list at 5,885 for the interviews. We have partnerships with Germany, France, Germany, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom (UK). That is why we are here to interview the countries that will be giving the scholarship at the end of the day.”
Mustapha said the interviews were held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Southeast), Bauchi (Northeast), Kaduna State University (Northwest), and so on.
The 2026/2027 OSS exercise, he said, reflected the federal character requirement of the government.
According to him, officials from the commission were present at the interview centre.
The DGM stated that at the end of the selection process, each state would have at least three students.
He announced that the oil producing states would be given the opportunity for extra slots.
Explaining the criteria for the requirements, Mustapha said the potential beneficiaries must, among other things, be Nigerians, hold First-Class degrees, Upper Division and Second Class Lower Division.
According to him, the beneficiaries are also expected to have relevant working experiences.
He said the School Certificate grades of the students also count in the interview.
Asked how many students would be successful at the end of the interviews, Mustapha said the budget would determine the figure.
“It all depends on the budget and the management. The management will decide that based on the budgetary conditions,” he said.
Also, one of the applicants, Maria Ochanya Ogbe, who is from Benue State, said she was eyeing a Master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology.
She expressed satisfaction with the interviews.
Another student, Alhaji Ikoh from Kogi State, said he applied to study Environmental Science at a Master’s level in the OSS.
He described the process as seemless, noting he was shortlisted for the interview without being connected to anyone.
Ikoh recalled that he even got the interview information from hearsay.