The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), a Federal Government agency mandated to develop indigenous human capacity, Research and technology for the oil and gas industry, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the Overseas MSc and PhD scholarships to specific programs at selected institutions under its Overseas Scholarship Scheme for the 2025/2026 academic session.
ELIGIBILITY:
Candidates with multiple applications will be automatically disqualified.
Candidates who have been sponsored by the Fund in a specific category (MSc/PhD) are ineligible to make another application for the same or a lower category.
Candidates who are beneficiaries of any other scholarship from similar organizations are not eligible to apply. Additionally, all lecturers must provide a letter from their Vice Chancellors confirming that they are not receiving any other form of scholarship.
MSc UK: The PTDF is in partnership with eighteen (18) top-ranking universities in the United Kingdom to deliver a world-class Masters degree in Oil and Gas related fields, in line with the Fund’s mandate.
PhD/MSc GFM: Under its strategic partnership in Germany, France and Malaysia, PTDF will continue to sponsor full funded PhD and MSc programmes in the 2025/2026 session in Public Institutions within the three (3) countries. Please note that all public universities in Germany are acceptable. Hence, the list is not provided.
PhD Applicants Must:
Have completed the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC)
Be computer literate
Possess 5 O/level credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
Have a minimum of Second-Class Lower (2.2) in their first degree and a good post-graduate degree
Submit a research proposal relevant to the oil and gas industry (of not more than five pages) to include: Topic, introduction, objective, methodology and mode of data collection.
Applicants must have a National Identity Number (NIN) and will be required to have verified it (NIMC verification charges apply) before applying for the scholarship.
MSc applicants must:
Have a minimum of Second Class Upper (2.1) qualification in their first degree or a Second-Class Lower (2.2) with relevant industry experience
Have completed the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC)
Be computer literate
Possess 5 O/level credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
Write a statement of purpose (maximum 500 words) stating the reason(s) for the proposed study, its relevance to the industry and its expected impact on national development.
Have a National Identity Number (NIN) fully verified (NIMC verification charges apply) before applying for the scholarship.
Strategic Partnerships: With Universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Malaysia: For the 2025/2026 award, applications will be limited to PTDF partner universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Malaysia, where the Fund is confident that the scholarship’s high standards can be maintained, and the objectives of the scheme will be best served.
Split-Site UK PhD: Offered at the PTDF-Owned College of Petroleum and Energy Studies Kaduna, Nigeria: Starting in 2025, all PhD programs in the United Kingdom under this scheme will be offered exclusively as Split-site programs. These programs will enable scholars to conduct research in Nigeria and the UK by dividing their residency between the PTDF-owned College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK), and any of the three partner universities in the United Kingdom.
College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK): The College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK) was established to provide a competitive and worldclass education in Nigeria addressing the needs of the growing energy industry by domesticating valuable overseas postgraduate degree programs and research at the institution.
Split-Site UK Partnership Universities: The following UK universities are currently in partnership with PTDF and CPESK to deliver postgraduate studies aligned with the evolving needs of Nigeria’s energy industry and with programs structured to align with the global energy landscape:
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen:Approved courses are available here
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow:Approved courses are available here
University of Portsmouth:Approved courses are available here
