Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Administrator, High Chief Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, says President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to reduce the Niger Delta’s human capital development gap are progressing through expanded scholarship opportunities, as the PAP Boss disclosed that more than 9,000 beneficiaries had been deployed to universities in Nigeria and abroad for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Otuaro made the remarks while addressing 35 postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries who departed for universities in England and Scotland on Monday, October 5, 2026.

In a statement signed by Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, and dated October 7, 2026, Otuaro said,“The deliberate effort to reduce the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta is on course under President Bola Tinubu, and he is resolutely committed to it."

He attributed the expansion of educational sponsorships to Tinubu’s support for the programme and said the scholarships were intended to help prepare young people to contribute to the region’s future.

The 35 scholars are part of 150 overseas postgraduate beneficiaries who attended a pre-departure orientation in August. Two earlier groups of 54 and 31 students have also travelled to the United Kingdom. 

Their fields of study include forensic audit, construction engineering management, data science, law, software engineering, oil and gas engineering, cybersecurity, global public health and fintech analytics.

Otuaro said the programme had dispatched 243 offshore scholarship beneficiaries this year. He urged the departing students to focus on their studies, pursue excellence and avoid conduct that could jeopardise their safety or academic progress.

He said the scholars would be expected to contribute to sustainable peace, stability, community development and nation-building after completing their studies.

Otuaro also thanked Tinubu for giving the Niger Delta priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda and expressed appreciation to National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for overseeing the programme. He commended PAP stakeholders for their role in supporting peace and security in the region.

The administrator called on Niger Delta residents to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying he believed the President would sustain scholarship opportunities if re-elected.