Nigeria: Why PTDF scholarship applicants are interested in AI, cloud computing, others –Official

*The Petroleum Technology Development Fund Scholarship Scheme 2023 reveals some of the young Nigerian applicants for the awards have indicated research interests in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Cloud Computing towards solving problems in the oil and gas sector of the country’s economy

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

In view of the strategic importance of the new technologies in providing solutions to certain human problems, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarship Scheme says 2023 applicants interviewed for the scheme have shown research interests in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Cloud Computing.

Dr. Hammajam Adamu, Head Panelist of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarship Scheme 2023, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, at this year’s PTDF Scholarship interviews for Ibadan Zone.

He said the new technologies would help to develop the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

Adamu said: “I am happy to see that Nigeria has a huge potential, which are young people who are aware of what is happening around the world and who have put themselves forth to solve the country’s problems, particularly those relating to oil and gas.

“We have seen that some of the applicants are interested in artificial intelligence, research in data science and cloud computing.”

He also explained that the young applicants are “interested in seeing how these technologies can come together as an ecosystem to help them deliver solutions for the oil and gas industry.”

He stressed the PTDF Management was able to identify some of the best students with a view to support them.

“We believe we need to send our best so as to justification the money spent on them,” noted he.

Adamu, who doubles as Head of Research, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPM), further said he was also a beneficiary of the programme during his Master’s and Ph.D programmes in Security Privacy and Data Protection.

According to the expert, he has been using the knowledge gained from the programme to develop the country in spite of having offers to stay in the United Kingdom (UK).

He, therefore, urged the successful applicants, who would be the recipients of the scholarship, to also return and build Nigeria as a way of appreciating the funds spent on training them overseas.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Tajudeen Ibiyeye, Team Lead, Ibadan Zone, Overseas Scholarship Scheme at PTDF, said that the organisation had been sending scholars abroad for them to gain knowledge in the field of oil and gas.

Ibiyeye stated: “From Ibadan Zone, we are looking at 659 applicants for M.Sc and 164 for PhD.”

He affirmed the scholarship scheme interview exercise would be taking place in all the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, with “5,000 applicants shortlisted for this stage.”

The successful applicants are expected to return to Nigeria and deploy the skills and knowledge gained, he said.

Mr Ibukun Nubi, one of the applicants from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, in Ogun State, expressed optimism about his application, being his second time of applying for the grant.

Nubi said that he would like to gain knowledge about how industries were being run by other countries with a view to replicating same in Nigeria, report noted.