Speaking during a pre-departure orientation at the PAP headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, the administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, said the move was part of efforts to boost human capital development in the Niger Delta while supporting the federal government’s development agenda for the region.

“If you put the number of beneficiaries we are deploying today together, over 140, all of them are going for postgraduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom,” Otuaro stated.

“We are confident that when they complete their studies and return, they will add value to the socio-economic advancement of the Niger Delta, and the human capacity resource of the region will be enriched. They will add value to our communities, the region, and the nation.”

He noted that the program deliberately chose “industry-competitive and professional disciplines” to equip scholars with knowledge relevant to both regional and national needs.

While PAP continues to run local training and educational programs, Otuaro explained that the foreign scholarship element is designed to produce professionals with global skills.

“When the President appointed me last year, he gave me a mandate, and that is to take this program to the people. That is what we are doing,” he emphasized, stressing that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

During the send-off, beneficiaries were presented with brand-new laptops and given guidance on cultural integration, academic focus, and safety while abroad.

Lectures on academic, diplomatic, and social issues relating to UK studies were delivered by PAP’s Technical Assistant, Edgar Daniel; the Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. M.O. Erebulu; and PAP’s Head of Education Department, Dr. Charles Ariye.

Otuaro also cautioned the students against losing focus: “Shun distractions and take your studies seriously in order to justify the Federal Government’s investment in your education, and be good ambassadors of your families, communities, the Niger Delta, and the country.”

Some beneficiaries, including Gift Gbaminido and Amadimati Greatman, expressed gratitude to the PAP leadership for the opportunity, pledging to use the skills and knowledge gained to contribute to both the region’s and Nigeria’s growth.

Since its establishment in 2009 to tackle militancy in the Niger Delta through disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration, the PAP has increasingly shifted towards education, skills acquisition, and empowerment initiatives as part of its peacebuilding and development mission