The Niger Delta Progressive Women Worldwide has said the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is making significant progress in human capital development for the Niger Delta, particularly through its focus on education under the current administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
The group said the shift from ‘stipends’ to sustainable development has changed the narrative, with education now central to the programme’s efforts to secure lasting peace in the region.
Background
PAP was established in 2009 by the late President Musa Yar’Adua to end militancy in the Niger Delta through disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration. While its early focus was on stipends and vocational training, the current leadership has prioritised education as a means of addressing the region’s human capital gap and attracting investment.
‘Education is central to the realisation of the general desire for lasting peace,’ the group said. It argued that educated beneficiaries can become engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, pilots, medical professionals and business owners, creating jobs and supporting families across society.
Achievements under Dr. Dennis Otuaro
According to the group, PAP has recorded notable achievements since Otuaro assumed office.
Local scholarships
Over 9,000 Niger Deltans have been awarded scholarships to study in Nigerian universities since March 2024. In the last academic session, 32 graduated with first-class degrees and 134 with upper second-class degrees.
Foreign scholarships
A total of 273 overseas scholarships have been awarded. The latest batch includes 34 postgraduate scholars deployed to UK universities in January 2026, while over 140 beneficiaries have been sent for UK postgraduate studies. They are placed in industry-relevant fields to return and add value to the region.
Support for students
Laptops have been distributed to 2024/2025 scholarship beneficiaries across Nigerian universities.
Professional training
Four pilot cadets and two instrument-rating trainees completed training in South Africa; 40 aviation cadets are in Lagos; and 98 maritime cadets are in Delta.
Vocational training and peace building
A total of 360 delegates have been trained on alternative dispute resolution and mediation to strengthen peace.
Impact and calls for continued support
The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Andakuro Miebi, said PAP has had a significant positive effect on vocational skills acquisition, a positive relationship with university educational advancement, and a positive relationship between budgetary provision and human capital development.
She said the education push directly addresses the drivers of unrest, including youth unemployment, marginalisation and limited access. It represents a shift ‘from reactive security measures to long-term nation-building’.
Miebi urged PAP to focus on empowerment over dependence for the betterment of the Niger Delta and society. She also called on leaders to support Otuaro to ensure that the limited budget is not mostly allocated to stipends at the expense of scholarships, vocational training and empowerment.
She commended Otuaro’s achievements in education as the ‘fulcrum of his policy thrust’, and said it is key to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the region.
‘PAP is moving from amnesty-as-stipend to amnesty-as-scholarship for the betterment of the Niger Delta region. The goal is to produce professionals and entrepreneurs who can drive peace and economic growth in the Niger Delta region for prosperity,’ she said.
