The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAE), a subsidiary of Italian energy company Eni, have awarded postgraduate scholarships to 30 Nigerian graduates under the 2026/2027 Scholarship Awards Scheme.
The beneficiaries were selected from more than 3,000 applicants based on their academic records and performance in a recently conducted computer-based test.
Speaking on the initiative, NAE Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Maurizio Pinna, said the scholarship programme was designed to strengthen human capital development by helping talented young Nigerians acquire specialised skills relevant to the oil and gas industry.
Pinna congratulated the successful applicants, noting that the awards would give them an opportunity to pursue their academic ambitions and advance their careers.
“The award highlights our company’s continuous commitment to the future of education, innovation, and capacity building in Nigeria,” he said.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the opportunity by acquiring knowledge and skills that would contribute to Nigeria’s development, particularly within the energy sector.
Ten of the scholarship recipients will undertake postgraduate studies at universities abroad, including Imperial College London, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Newcastle University, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Hull.
The remaining 20 beneficiaries will study at universities in Nigeria, pursuing disciplines such as engineering, geosciences, petroleum and environmental technology, energy economics, renewable energy and energy transition.
The postgraduate scholarship scheme was established in 2007 by the NNPC-NAE Production Sharing Contract partners as part of efforts to develop local expertise and address skills gaps in specialised areas of Nigeria’s deep offshore oil and gas operations.
According to the company, 380 graduates have benefited from the programme since its inception, receiving support to acquire professional knowledge and technical skills required by the industry.
Beyond education, Eni, through NAE, has undertaken sustainability projects in Nigeria covering healthcare, education, access to clean water, infrastructure and community empowerment.
Eni has operated in Nigeria since 1962 and currently records equity production of approximately 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The company also holds a 10.4 per cent stake in Nigeria LNG.
Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited was incorporated in 1996 to manage Eni’s deep offshore exploration and production assets in the country. It became the first oil and gas company in Nigeria to produce oil from the country’s deep offshore through its Abo floating production, storage and offloading vessel in 2003.
NAE holds interests in nine offshore blocks in Nigeria, both as an operator and co-venturer. These include PML 102 and PML 103, where the Zabazaba-Etan fields are being developed.
