The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has asked the United Kingdom to tackle rising university tuition fees and visa processing delays that are hampering Nigerian scholarship beneficiaries, warning the challenges could restrict access to overseas education despite increasing demand for its programmes. The PTDF's Executive Secretary, Shu'aibu Aliyu, disclosed that the fund had sponsored nearly 15,000 Nigerians for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Nigeria and abroad, with the UK remaining a major academic partner. He made the appeal during a meeting with British High Commissioner to Nigeria Peter Vowles at the General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Aliyu said increasing tuition costs in the UK posed a critical concern for the PTDF, which also maintains academic partnerships with Germany, France and Malaysia. He noted that the fund had developed a system with German partners to reduce tuition expenses, allowing it to send more scholars there. While recognising the quality of the British education system, Aliyu stressed the need for intervention on both tuition and visa matters. The PTDF also seeks British government support to improve monitoring of Nigerian scholars at UK universities. British High Commissioner Vowles acknowledged concerns over visa processing and tuition fees, promising to communicate these to relevant UK authorities.
Vowles noted that the UK government had authorised the PTDF as an approved sponsor, a step intended to streamline visa processing for scholarship beneficiaries. He described the PTDF as a key partner of British universities and praised its investment in developing a postgraduate institution in Kaduna. The visa challenge was illustrated by Zulqornain Abdulsalam Gambari, a PTDF scholar pursuing a PhD at the University of Portsmouth, who arrived in the UK in August despite his programme being scheduled to begin in June because of visa delays. Another scholar, Olamide Oseni, studying in Scotland, described his experience positively, citing support from supervisors and the academic community.
To reduce the cost of international education, the PTDF has introduced a split-site PhD programme under which scholars complete part of their doctoral studies in Nigeria and the remainder at UK partner universities. According to the PTDF, the agency has 45 students currently studying in the UK through this arrangement and expects them to return to Nigeria in the first quarter of next year. As of July 2026, the PTDF said 1,571 scholars were studying across 15 countries and over 120 partner institutions, with demand for its scholarships continuing to increase significantly. The split-site model involves partnerships with Staffordshire University, Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen.
The PTDF's broader strategy includes strengthening technical education, applied research and vocational training to address skills gaps among Nigerian graduates. The fund operates a Centre for Skills Development and Training in Port Harcourt for technical and vocational education and is developing the Kaduna-based university as a postgraduate institution focused on advanced research and energy-related disciplines. Aliyu said the university was intended to serve Nigeria and the wider West African region as countries seek technical expertise in energy and gas industries. The fund is exploring stronger cooperation with the African Petroleum Producers' Organisation to expand human capital development across the continent and wants British universities and industry experts to support faculty development and research exchanges in emerging energy technologies.