‘FG spends N50m on each student’ — reps direct MDAs to employ PTDF scholars

The house of representatives has directed ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to engage beneficiaries of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) scholarship programme.

The resolution of the house followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Samaila Suleiman, lawmaker representing Kaduna north.

While presenting the motion during plenary on Wednesday, Suleiman questioned why around N50 million is spent on each student for a course that takes three to four years to complete, yet the beneficiaries are not engaged in any useful employment that adds value to the nation’s development.

According to information from its website, the PTDF focuses on “developing indigenous human capacity and petroleum technology to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry”.

Under the scholarship programme, the federal government sponsors Nigerians to attain degrees in universities within and outside the country.

In his remarks, Suleiman said the PTDF’s activities are “designed to lay a lasting foundation for growth and development, while strengthening existing technology as well as supporting infrastructural and human capacity for discoveries and inventions”.

“PTDF, among other things, is aimed at providing scholarship and bursaries wholly or partially to students in universities, colleges, institutions with petroleum-related curriculum in Nigeria or abroad,” he said.

“PTDF successfully [spends] N50 to 60 million on each student for a three to four-year course, impacting them with much knowledge, yet the students are not engaged in any useful employment that adds value to the nation’s development, a situation which have left especially the students not being proud of themselves nor their nation.”

The motion was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.

The house mandated its committees on petroleum resources (upstream) and legislative compliance to ensure that MDAs comply with the directive.