DESOPADEC Opens 2026 Bursary Portal, Urges Delta Students to Apply

The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has opened applications for its 2026 bursary scheme for eligible university students from its mandate areas across Delta State.

The commission formally unveiled the application portal on Tuesday, September 1, directing qualified students to begin the registration process online. The portal is accessible at [DESOPADEC 2026 Bursary Portal](https://apply.desopadecbursary.com.ng

Speaking during the launch at the commission’s headquarters, the Executive Director of Social Services, Chief Favour Izuokumor, said the scheme followed consultations between DESOPADEC and representatives of students from the oil-producing ethnic nationalities.

He advised prospective applicants to carefully study the eligibility requirements and ensure that all requested documents are provided, warning that incomplete applications could affect their chances of benefiting from the programme.

Applicants are required to upload a recent passport photograph, student identity card, admission letter, local government certificate of origin and a letter from their ethnic nationality student union. They are also expected to create accounts on the portal, provide their personal and academic information and submit valid bank details.

Izuokumor stressed that multiple applications would not be tolerated, adding that any student found to have applied more than once would be disqualified.

The scheme is currently limited to university students, with students of polytechnics and colleges of education excluded from this phase. DESOPADEC has, however, been urged to extend the programme to those categories of students in subsequent disbursements.

The executive director said the commission expects to complete the verification of applications in October, with bursary payments projected to commence in November, subject to the successful conclusion of the screening exercise.

Beyond the bursary programme, Izuokumor disclosed that DESOPADEC would also roll out its annual skills empowerment programme for youths and women across its mandate areas before the end of the year.

He commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for approving the 2026 bursary programme, saying the intervention would help ease some of the financial pressures confronting students from oil-producing communities.

The Chairman of the Confederation of Delta State Oil Producing Ethnic Nationality Students Union (CODSOPENSU), Comrade Johnson Aweh, who represents the Ijaw ethnic nationality, welcomed the launch of the scheme.

Aweh commended DESOPADEC and Izuokumor for ensuring that the 2026 bursary programme became a reality, while also acknowledging the governor’s support for student welfare.

He appealed to the commission to include students of polytechnics and colleges of education in future bursary programmes, arguing that students in those institutions also face significant financial challenges in pursuing their education.

The launch of the portal adds another digital channel to DESOPADEC’s educational support programmes for students from its mandate areas, with the commission urging eligible applicants to complete their registration with accurate information and authentic documents.