•Praises Tinubu for steadfast support of PAP

The Ijaw Youth Network (IYN) has commended the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, for deploying 150 Niger Delta youths to universities across the United Kingdom for postgraduate studies.

The Ijaw youths body described the move as a demonstration of visionary leadership.

The group, in a statement on Sunday by its President, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, also praised President Bola Tinubu for his steadfast support of the PAP, noting that the president’s backing has been historic and remains the driving force behind the programme’s unprecedented achievements under the current administration.

According to the IYN, it was reassuring to know that the latest batch of 150 beneficiaries participated in a pre-departure briefing led by Otuaro at the PAP headquarters in Abuja.

The deployment forms part of the programme’s 2026 offshore scholarship scheme. It brings the total number of postgraduate scholars the administrator has sent abroad this year to 243, following earlier batches of 93 students dispatched in January and May.

The latest beneficiaries will pursue specialised master’s degree programmes in fields including software engineering, cybersecurity, global public health, oil and gas engineering, law, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, forensic audit, and data science analytics.

"Dr Otuaro has shown what purposeful leadership can achieve," the group said.

"These young men and women will return as engineers, lawyers, analysts, health experts and technology professionals, ready to contribute to the growth and development of the Niger Delta and the nation."

The IYN further commended the scholarship scheme designed to bridge the human capital development deficit in the Niger Delta, sustain peace and stability in the region, and equip young people with globally competitive skills.

"As key observers in the Niger Delta, we have noted that the tremendous support this programme enjoys from the Federal Government under President Tinubu and is ably supervised by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

"The scholars reportedly received brand-new laptops during orientation to support their academic work", the statement added.

The group also called on the people of the Niger Delta to reciprocate President Tinubu’s commitment to the region with electoral support in the 2027 general elections.

According to them, it is impotant for the Niger Delta to appreciate the President and his team with unflinching electoral support.

The group pledged to mobilise its members and networks across the region in favour of the president’s continued leadership.

IYN said: "The President has stood firmly with the Niger Delta and with the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and he has stood by the Administrator as he delivers these wonderful results.

"It is only proper that the people of the region repay this steadfastness with their support at the polls in 2027. We pledge to mobilise for him."

The organisation described the sustained investment in education and skills development under the PAP as a critical pathway to lasting peace and economic empowerment in the oil-producing region.