In a remarkable display of academic excellence, no fewer than 32 beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) scholarship scheme have graduated with first-class degrees from various Nigerian universities in 2025. Additionally, 134 others clinched second-class upper division honours, further highlighting the programme’s impact on human capital development in the Niger Delta region.
The graduates excelled in competitive fields such as law, pharmacy, aeronautical engineering, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, software engineering, nursing science, mechanical engineering, architecture, accounting, and criminology. Other disciplines include computer science, anatomy, international relations and diplomacy, geography and regional planning, microbiology, public health, information technology, medical laboratory science, estate management, and mass communication.
PAP Administrator, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has lauded the students for their outstanding performances, describing it as a testament to their dedication and the programme’s strategic focus on education. “We are indeed happy with the excellent academic performances of our scholarship students in 2025. The number of beneficiaries, all from the Niger Delta, that made first-class and second-class upper division is very encouraging. We commend all of them for the great feats,” Otuaro stated in a press release signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Igoniko Oduma.
He emphasized that these achievements align with the PAP’s mandate to foster peace and development in the Niger Delta through educational and vocational initiatives. “These commendable academic achievements indicate that we are focused on the implementation of the PAP mandate for the transformation of the Niger Delta through educational and vocational schemes,” Otuaro added.
The Administrator attributed the success to the unwavering support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the supervisory role of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. “We express our deep appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Without his strong support, these impressive academic feats of our scholarship students and all the success stories recorded would not have been achieved,” he said.
Otuaro further noted that the graduates have justified the federal government’s investment in their education, making the PAP Office, their communities, and the entire Niger Delta proud. He urged current scholarship beneficiaries to emulate their predecessors and maintain the programme’s impressive academic record.
This latest milestone builds on the PAP’s ongoing efforts to empower Niger Delta youths. Recent developments include the deployment of additional foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries to universities in the United Kingdom. In December 2025, nine students marked the first batch under Otuaro’s administration, followed by another 34 in early 2026, as part of the programme’s commitment to advanced education abroad. These initiatives underscore President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes the region’s development, including infrastructure projects like the trans-Niger Delta Highway from Lagos to Calabar.
Established in 2009, the PAP aims to reintegrate ex-agitators and promote sustainable peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Through its scholarship schemes—both onshore and offshore—it has sponsored thousands of students, contributing to skilled manpower in critical sectors. Eligibility for the 2025/2026 session focuses on registered PAP beneficiaries, with priority for those from impacted communities, requiring strong academic credentials for advanced studies.
Otuaro reiterated the region’s gratitude to President Tinubu: “The people of the Niger Delta are happy with Mr. President and what his administration is doing for the region, and will react in due course with the right expression of gratitude.”
With these achievements, the PAP continues to play a pivotal role in transforming the Niger Delta, proving that investment in education yields lasting dividends for peace and progress.
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