Prosper Okoye
Nigeria’s federal government has opened applications for the 2026 Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Overseas Scholarship Scheme, offering postgraduate study opportunities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Malaysia.
The announcement was made on Monday in a post on X by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media.
According to the PTDF, the scheme targets MSc and PhD candidates in disciplines linked to the oil and gas sector and is designed to build local capacity through access to international training and research facilities.
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The PTDF says successful applicants will receive full tuition, return air tickets, accommodation and living allowances, health insurance and, where applicable, bench fees.
“The 2026 overseas MSc and PhD scholarships provide access to world-class training, research facilities and global expertise, while developing indigenous capacity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” the fund said.
Eligibility Criteria
MSc applicants must have at least a second class lower degree, have completed the National Youth Service Corps programme, be computer literate and hold five O-level credits, including English language and mathematics.
PhD applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of no more than five pages, detailing objectives, methodology and data collection plans.
For candidates applying to study in the UK, the PTDF said PhD awards would follow a split-site arrangement, with research carried out between the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna and selected partner universities, including Robert Gordon University, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Portsmouth.
Competitive Process and Deadline
The agency described the scheme as highly competitive, noting that selection would be based on academic records, research proposals, professional memberships and the relevance of proposed studies to the oil and gas industry.
Applicants must ensure their National Identity Number is verified before applying. The PTDF warned that multiple applications or the submission of false documents would lead to automatic disqualification.
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Applications are to be submitted online via the PTDF scholarship portal, with the deadline set for 27 February.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
