Scholarships for Nigerian Students: The Complete Guide

As a Nigerian student, funding your education — whether at home or abroad — often comes down to knowing where to look Scholarships for Nigerian Students. Beyond tuition, there’s accommodation, feeding, transportation, and research costs to plan for, and a scholarship covers far more than money alone: it comes with prestige, and often opens doors to graduate development schemes and entrepreneurial sponsorship you wouldn’t otherwise access. This guide brings together the real, active pathways available right now — government-linked, corporate-sponsored, and international — along with exactly what you’ll need to apply.

PTDF (Petroleum Technology Development Fund) Scholarship

Is the BEA (Bilateral Education Agreement) Scholarship Still Available?

NDDC Postgraduate Scholarship

MTN Scholarship (Youth Development Cause)

NLNG (Nigeria LNG) Scholarship

Agbami Scholarship

Jim Ovia Foundation Scholarship

NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture Scholarship

MRS Oil Nigeria PLC Scholarship Scheme

Grand Cereals Limited Graduate Trainee Programme

Ecobank Nigeria Associate Programme

British Council GREAT Scholarships for Nigerian Students

Types of Scholarships Available to Nigerian Students

Nigerian students can access funding through four main channels: Federal Government and government-linked agencies (like PTDF), corporate-sponsored scholarships from companies operating in Nigeria (telecoms, oil and gas, banking), international partnerships (British Council, Commonwealth), and university-specific programs abroad.

Government and Government-Linked Scholarships for Nigerian Students

PTDF (Petroleum Technology Development Fund) Scholarship

PTDF is a Federal Government agency mandated to develop indigenous human capacity for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, sponsoring students at Master’s and PhD level both at home and overseas. The overseas scheme is genuinely comprehensive — it covers flight tickets, health insurance, tuition and bench fees, and living/accommodation allowances, giving candidates access to a wide pool of world-class partner institutions abroad.

Is the BEA (Bilateral Education Agreement) Scholarship Still Available?

Not currently. The Federal Government has discontinued new awards under the BEA Scholarships for Nigerian Students as of April/May 2025, despite the program still appearing in budget documents. Separately, the Federal Government also historically offered scholarship awards tenable within Nigerian tertiary institutions, distinct from the overseas BEA track. See our full BEA status update for the official government clarification and what to apply for instead.

NDDC Postgraduate Scholarship

The Niger Delta Development Commission’s Postgraduate Foreign Scholarship Programme has been put on hold in recent years. When active, it supported Niger Deltans pursuing postgraduate study abroad as part of NDDC’s human capacity development mandate. Worth checking NDDC’s official channels directly for any change in status before planning around it.

Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships and Graduate Programs

MTN Scholarship (Youth Development Cause)

MTN runs three distinct scholarship tracks for Nigerian students. The MTN Science and Technology Scholarship — now in its 12th year — is open to 300-level students in science and technology courses at Nigerian public tertiary institutions, awarding 300 students ₦200,000 annually through to graduation, contingent on maintaining required grades. MTN also runs a dedicated Scholarship for Blind Students, and the Top 10 UTME Scholarship, which awards ₦200,000 to the ten highest-scoring JAMB candidates, continuing from 100 level through graduation.

NLNG (Nigeria LNG) Scholarship

NLNG operates scholarship schemes across three levels — Post Primary, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate — reflecting the company’s view of education as fundamental to national development. Awards factor in Nigeria’s economic realities and continue supporting a student’s studies as long as required grades are maintained.

Agbami Scholarship

Backed by Star Deep and its Agbami partners, this program supports Engineering and Medical students specifically, open to first- and second-year (100L/200L) undergraduates. It’s one of the largest undergraduate scholarship programs in Nigeria by volume, with close to 10,000 recipients to date — worth ₦100,000 for Engineering students and ₦200,000 for Medical students.

Jim Ovia Foundation Scholarship

Founded in 1998 (originally known as the MUSTE scholarship) and fully funded by Jim Ovia, this program supports outstanding Nigerian youth through undergraduate and graduate study, covering tuition and maintenance allowances. Around 100 new opportunities open each year, alongside renewals for existing scholars who continue meeting eligibility requirements.

NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture Scholarship

Jointly sponsored by Chevron and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, this scholarship supports undergraduate students across Nigerian universities with ₦100,000 annually through to final year, provided required grades are maintained.

MRS Oil Nigeria PLC Scholarship Scheme

A downstream petroleum company-backed scholarship supporting Scholarships for Nigerian Students in relevant fields of study.

Grand Cereals Limited Graduate Trainee Programme

Structured agribusiness training designed specifically for young Nigerian graduates entering the workforce.

Ecobank Nigeria Associate Programme

A paid entry pathway into one of Africa’s major banking groups, combining funded training with direct employment.

International Partnerships

British Council GREAT Scholarships for Nigerian Students

Offers partial or full tuition funding for postgraduate study in the UK, through partnerships with UK universities specifically reserved for Nigerian applicants.

Commonwealth Scholarships

As a Commonwealth nation, Nigerian students remain eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships funding PhD, Master’s, and distance-learning study in the UK.

Scholarship Application Requirements

Requirements vary by study level. Here’s what’s typically needed:

Undergraduate Requirements:

• JAMB Result
• O’Level Result
• Passport Photographs
• Birth Certificate
• School Identity Card
• National Identification Number (NIN)
• Local Government of Origin
• Admission Letter

Postgraduate Requirements:

• Completed scholarship application form
• Passport Photographs
• Academic Transcript
• Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• Standard Test Scores (if applicable)
• Admission Letter

How to Strengthen Your Application

• Start early. Corporate scholarships especially often run on rolling or early-bird deadlines.
• Tailor your statement of purpose to each specific program, rather than reusing one generic version.
• Secure references early — academic and professional referees often need weeks of notice.
• Check program status before applying. As the BEA situation shows, not every program listed elsewhere online is still accepting applicants — always verify with the official source first.

Frequently Asked Questions