PTDF seeks UK intervention over rising tuition, visa delays

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has petitioned the United Kingdom to intervene regarding soaring university tuition fees and visa processing delays that are impacting Nigerian scholarship recipients. PTDF Executive Secretary Shu'aibu Aliyu made the appeal during a meeting with British High Commissioner Peter Vowles in Kaduna.

The PTDF has sponsored around 15,000 Nigerians for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Nigeria and internationally, with the UK being one of its key academic partners. Aliyu highlighted rising tuition costs as a critical issue, noting that the situation is more severe compared to other European nations. He also pointed out visa delays, which he urged the British High Commissioner to address through intervention.

Vowles acknowledged these concerns and promised to relay them to the relevant UK authorities. He reaffirmed the UK's commitment to providing quality education to Nigerian scholars and welcomed the PTDF's ambitions to expand its academic programmes in Africa. One PTDF scholar, Zulqornain Abdulsalam Gambari, who is pursuing a PhD at the University of Portsmouth, expressed positive sentiments about his experience, despite facing delays in his visa processing.