From Stipends to Skills: Ex-Agitators Hail PAP’s Education Surge Under Otuaro

…Say 8,205 Scholarship Beneficiaries Signal Shift to Knowledge-Driven Reintegration

Former Niger Delta agitators have declared that the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is undergoing its most significant transformation since inception, citing an unprecedented expansion in scholarship deployments and a shift from stipend-based support to structured human capital development.

Under the leadership of the PAP Administrator, Dennis Otuaro, the programme has reportedly sponsored 8,205 students to onshore and offshore academic institutions — a figure described by ex-agitators as “mind-blowing” and unmatched in the history of the scheme.

The ex-agitators, speaking under the aegis of the Board of Trustees, Critical Stakeholders Forum of Ex-Agitators, said the renewed focus on education and employability is repositioning the Niger Delta for long-term stability and economic competitiveness.

Breaking from the Stipend Era
National Spokesman and Secretary of the group, Nature Dumale Kiegha, said PAP has undergone foundational and institutional reforms that ended what he described as the “stipend-driven era” of the programme.

According to him, the current model centers on building a critical mass of employable youths capable of competing in both domestic and global labour markets.

“Under Dr Dennis Otuaro, the programme now prioritises education, stakeholder engagement, vocational excellence and direct employment pathways as interconnected pillars for regional stability,” Dumale said.

He added that the injection of 8,205 new scholarship students represents more than a 400 per cent increase compared to previous deployment cycles, describing it as the single largest educational expansion in the programme’s history.

Strategic Offshore Training
Dumale noted that the offshore scholarship component has been deliberately aligned with future-oriented disciplines such as cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence and engineering, delivered through accredited institutions in the United Kingdom.

“This alignment with global industry trends ensures that beneficiaries graduate with internationally recognised qualifications relevant to the demands of a rapidly evolving labour market,” he said.

He argued that the emphasis on high-demand technical skills could help address longstanding employment marginalisation of Niger Delta youths in critical and managerial roles within the oil and gas sector.

In what the group described as a merit-driven reform, 32 first-class graduates were awarded additional scholarships under a performance-based incentive structure.

“This reinforces a culture of excellence and encourages a competitive, result-driven ethos among beneficiaries,” Dumale explained.

Beyond tuition sponsorship, PAP has reportedly distributed over 3,400 laptops to scholarship students, a move stakeholders say is bridging the digital divide in many riverine communities.
The programme has also adopted a “training-to-employment” framework, integrating beneficiaries directly into the workforce.

According to the group, trained beneficiaries have secured placements in major aviation and logistics firms, including Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Bristow Helicopters, Green Africa Airways and OAS Helicopters.

Some beneficiaries, Dumale said, have been deployed as qualified air traffic controllers to airports in Abuja and Benin, while others are certified UAV drone specialists.

The forum linked the reforms to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the administration’s support — alongside that of the National Security Adviser — has strengthened the programme’s credibility in the region.

They passed a vote of confidence in Otuaro and the Federal Government, calling on traditional rulers, youth leaders and other stakeholders to support the ongoing reforms.

“As these thousands of young people graduate, they will become agents of change in their communities, fit into multinational companies and emerge as managers and captains of industry,” Dumale said.

For a region long associated with militancy and oil-related unrest, the ex-agitators argue that the new direction of PAP signals a deliberate pivot from conflict management to capacity building — one they believe could redefine the future of the Niger Delta.