…A post-graduate scholar makes name in Canada by engineering design that saved $1bn for the city
Experts and analysts in the oil region are on examining aspects of progress so far recorded in the oil region as the Niger Delta development Commission clocks 25 years. One of the areas of review is education, and a star programme is the foreign scholarship scheme which is for post graduates. The scheme was full of scandals in the past but the transformation said to be going on this time around seemed to have made its biggest impact by curbing the crisis.
At a roundtable in Port Harcourt, some public commentators and development analysts looked at the various areas that the oil region has moved ahead. According to Ifeatu Agbu, one of the information strategy experts on the staff of the NDDC who made submissions at the roundtable, giant human capital development striges have been recorded. He gave the example of one Cynthia Ebi Farka who he said has remained proud of her years as a foreign scholar on the scholarship of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Agbu submitted that Farka cherishes her days as the face of Coventry in the United Kingdom. Farka, he said, explained her pride: “My face was used to showcase the good features of the university, and I did this as an NDDC scholar.”
Agbu said Cynthia, who hails from Bayelsa State, studied oil and gas engineering and described her experience in UK as life-changing. She said out there, “Everything is computerised, and if you don’t work hard, you will not get anything. There is this software called ‘turn-it-in’ which is used whenever an assignment or coursework is given to check plagiarism,” she told Agbu.
She said with a background in petroleum engineering, she had the opportunity to deepen her knowledge in oil and gas engineering. “I also had the opportunity to go on an excursion in Glasgow, Scotland. The flow measurement course exposed me to practical experiences outside the academic sphere. Altogether, I can say that I am well equipped for the future.”
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Scholars such as Farka are looking forward to putting their specialised skills in application to translate their studies to benefits for the people of the Niger Delta. Most of the scholars now desire a society that operates like in the UK, a major reason they were sent abroad in the first. For starters, Farka and many other foreign scholars now admit and even preach that citizens must no longer sit and expect the Government to solve all problems and do all things. Such new mindset alone may cause a revolution in development.
For instance, Farka said: “I see a Nigeria that will be like the United Kingdom, where you pay for electricity and you get light in a system that works generally. I want the Niger Delta to be a peaceful environment where the youths can realise their potentials.” Some of them are even offering advice in areas to improve the scheme while some commended the NDDC in areas such as tracking of scholars.
Some scholars have made the scheme proud. Ubong Peters, a doctorate degree scholar in Australia, was celebrated for winning a three-minute thesis competition at his university. Oe of them, Augustine Osarogiagbon of Memorial University is touted to be so brilliant he completed his doctorate programme in less than the stipulated time and has been offered a dual Ph.D. programme with two graduate assistants to work with him and a post-doctoral fellowship lined up.
Samuel Ogbuku, the NDDC boss has particularly taken note of these positive developments and has also highlighted the exceptional contributions of Charles Igwe, a Ph.D. scholar in Construction Engineering at Concordia University, Canada. He said that his unique design saved the Montreal Area Municipality over $1 billion, noting that he achieved the feat by redesigning the TURCOT interchange road construction project, costing $3.67 billion.
The NDDC foreign scholarship records seem impressive. Officials say total of 1,411 students have received scholarships since 2010, of which 1,066 were supported in M.Sc and 345 in Ph.D programmes. Five of the M.Sc students graduated with distinction from Coventry University, England and one from Aberdeen University. Officials says this shows the depth of talent within the region.
George Uzonwanne, NDDC Director for Education, Health and Social Services (EHSS), explained that the scheme was meant to equip Niger Delta youths with relevant training and skills for effective participation in the local content programme of the Federal Government, especially in oil and gas. The Commission also needs good engineers and experts for the execution of their own projects.
Ozonwanne stressed: “So far, we have been proved right as those who benefited from the programme in the previous years have justified the need for the advanced training programme.”
He expressed delight that the oil and gas sector has employed some of the NDDC scholars while some were employed abroad.
The Director recalled the outstanding performance of one of the beneficiaries who studied in the United Kingdom. He said that Francisca Chiedu, the star NDDC scholar of that year, was elected President of the United Kingdom University Student Union.
“Her success was a testimony of the capability of the new generation of Nigerians to be the change they seek and champion worthy causes”. Transparency has been key.
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Chiedu, a University of Benin Computer Science graduate, appreciated what the NDDC did for her through the scheme and wrote back to express this.
The EHSS director said that NDDC was considering broadening the scope of the scholarship to include Nigerian universities and by this, extend the laudable opportunity to more persons as suggested by Lenin Francis, who benefited from the 2014 set.
Francis, from Bayelsa State, supported the scheme: “I pray that the NDDC will continue with this laudable programme, which has helped many youths in the region,” he said.
He said that the foreign scholarship was a boost not just for the beneficiaries but for the entire Niger Delta because it would allow the youths to develop themselves and acquire technical expertise, which would benefit the people of the region.
According to him, the NDDC made the right decision to build the capacity of the youths, rather than focusing only on infrastructure.
He further said that the scholarship scheme needed to be expanded. “It is insufficient for the teeming youths of the region. Currently, the scholarship scheme is enjoyed by less than 15 per cent of qualified applicants, with some states getting only 10 slots. Surely, the NDDC can improve on this number,” he said.
Giving her perspective, Amaka Uchendu, who studied at the University of Essex in the UK, said that youths often found it challenging to start their lives after their first degrees. She said, “With this scholarship programme, it will be easier for us to pursue opportunities we may not otherwise have been able to because of not having money.
So, the NDDC has helped us kick-start our lives, and we thank the commission for allowing us to move forward and improve our lives.”
