The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has said President Bola Tinubu is pleased with the achievements recorded by the programme in the Niger Delta, particularly in the areas of scholarships, stakeholder engagement, and peacebuilding.
Otuaro disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the flag-off of the fourth batch of the two-day Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation Training for PAP Stakeholders, organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre.
He said the President’s satisfaction is anchored on the agency’s inclusive engagement strategy, expanded scholarship scheme, and sustained peace initiatives in the region, adding that President Tinubu remains strongly committed to ensuring lasting peace, stability, and development in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the training programme is a critical component of the PAP’s peacebuilding process, designed to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders whom he described as both partners in peace and ambassadors of the President in their respective communities.
Otuaro also commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his strategic support in strengthening the programme and enabling it to achieve its objectives for the people of the region.
While declaring the workshop open, the PAP Administrator said the programme had made notable progress within one year and nine months, stressing that peace in the Niger Delta can only be sustained through collective ownership of the process by stakeholders.
He disclosed that as part of efforts to invest in the future of the region, the PAP had deployed 4,500 students on scholarship to universities across Nigeria for the 2025–2026 academic session.
Otuaro noted that similar capacity-building workshops had been held for three batches of stakeholders in July and August 2025, assuring that the programme would continue to broaden participation to deepen inclusiveness and unity.
He said the PAP had refocused its operations on community-driven development and youth empowerment, warning that his administration would not be distracted by what he described as smear campaigns by elements opposed to the programme’s people-centred approach.
The PAP boss urged stakeholders not to allow themselves to be manipulated by political interests, but instead to support President Tinubu’s development agenda for the Niger Delta, including backing his re-election bid in 2027.
He called on participants to engage actively in the training and apply the knowledge gained to strengthen peace, unity, and development in their communities.
Otuaro also expressed appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, the resource persons, and the President of AANDEC, Rear Admiral Ndidi Agholor (retd.), for partnering with the PAP to advance peacebuilding efforts in the Niger Delta.
