As a Nigerian student, you could take advantage of any of the foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria to study guy free.
I have made this comprehensive list covering numerous student aid opportunities and scholarships for university students in Nigeria.
This list features top national and international scholarships, fellowships, college and university grants, free scholarships, federal government scholarships, and various other forms of student financial assistance and scholarships in Nigeria.
As a university student, you can explore numerous scholarship opportunities in Nigeria, such as funding, financial aid, undergraduate scholarships, postgraduate scholarships, and more, all of which are available in our extensive scholarship database.
Numerous scholarships are available for Nigerian students at undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD levels. These scholarships are sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, government agencies, universities, philanthropic foundations, and primarily corporations. Scholarships in Nigeria cover various fields of study, ensuring that students have access to opportunities tailored to their academic interests.
In Nigeria, scholarships are available in various categories such as merit-based, discipline-based, and means-based, which cater to financially disadvantaged students. The PTDF Scholarship Scheme offers scholarships to eligible local and international students pursuing undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. programs in specific disciplines. This scholarship covers tuition fees and accommodation expenses.
Other notable merit-based scholarships in Nigeria include:
- NNPC/Total National Merit Scholarships
- ExxonMobil Undergraduate Scholarships
- NNPC-ADDAX Undergraduate Scholarships
- Agip Postgraduate Scholarships
- Shell Undergraduate Scholarships
- NLNG Scholarships
These scholarships, primarily sponsored by oil and gas companies, cover tuition fees and sometimes additional costs.
Foundation-based scholarships in Nigeria include:
- MTN Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship
- Jim Ovia Foundation Leadership Scholarship
- David Oyedepo Foundation Scholarship for African Students
- Gani Fawehinmi Scholarships
Foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria
Below are the best foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria:
1. PTDF Scholarship Scheme
Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is a federal government agency responsible for fostering indigenous human capacity and petroleum technology to serve the oil and gas sector. As part of its ongoing initiatives, PTDF regularly grants overseas MSc and Ph.D. Scholarships to highly qualified candidates under its UK strategic partnership program.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply for specific programs at PTDF’s partner institutions in the designated countries. A comprehensive list of sponsored courses can be found on their websites: ptdf.gov.ng and scholarship.ptdf.gov.ng. Due to the highly competitive nature of PTDF scholarships, only exceptional candidates are selected.
Scholarship recipients will benefit from provisions such as flight tickets, health insurance, tuition, and bench fees (if applicable), as well as allowances for accommodation and living expenses. Applications can be submitted online via PTDF’s Scholarship Management Portal: scholarship.ptdf.gov.ng.
2. NNPC/Total National Merit Scholarships
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria (TUCN) – which include Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited (Total E&P Nig Ltd) and Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) – join forces with their venture partners to grant scholarships to outstanding Nigerian students attending tertiary institutions within the nation.
The scholarship program by foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria aims to foster academic excellence and cultivate high-quality manpower in Nigeria. This initiative represents one of the numerous ways in which TOTAL contributes to the educational growth of Nigerian students. Application forms for the National Merit Scholarship can be found and submitted online at scholarships.totalcsredu.com.
3. ExxonMobil Undergraduate Scholarships
Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as part of their joint venture, annually grants 500 undergraduate scholarships to Nigerian university students. These scholarships initially cover one academic year, with the possibility of renewal for the entire duration of the approved course of study, contingent on recipients’ academic achievements and institutional reports.
Under the NNPC/MPN JV undergraduate scholarship program, 60% of the awards are allocated to core disciplines such as Engineering and Geosciences, while the remaining 40% are designated for other approved business and social sciences-related fields.
This is one of the foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria that supports 9 distinct disciplines, with awards granted strictly on merit, based on candidates’ academic history, conduct, and performance in the selection exams.
To streamline the scholarship awards process and take advantage of existing information and communication technologies (ICT), candidate selection is carried out using electronic computer-based testing. This e-testing takes place at multiple centers throughout the country.
4. EEPNL’s International Postgraduate Scholarship
Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria, Ltd (EEPNL) annually grants 10 international post-graduate scholarships to eligible graduates from Nigerian universities. Initially awarded for one academic year, these scholarships can be renewed to cover the entire duration of the approved study, contingent on the recipient’s academic performance and related reports from their institutions.
The EEPNL International Post Graduate Scholarship Program began before the Exxon Corporation and Mobil Corporation merger, starting with two awards. The number of awards increased to five in 2005 and later to ten in 2006. The scholarships cater to students in the fields of Geosciences and Engineering.
5. Shell Nigeria Scholarship Scheme
a. Niger Delta Postgraduate Scholarship
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), as the operator of the SPDC Joint Ventures, offers the annual SPDC JV Niger Delta Postgraduate Scholarship for candidates from Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, and Rivers states. They also provide postgraduate study opportunities in subjects relevant to the oil and gas industry for qualified students hailing from these Niger Delta states.
b. Shell University Scholarship Scheme
The University Scholarship Scheme is a program administered by SPDC on behalf of the NNPC/Shell/Elf/Agip Joint Venture. Each year, over 4,000 Nigerian undergraduates participate in aptitude tests, hoping to join the growing list of students supported by Shell Nigeria in Nigerian Universities. Applicants are shortlisted based on their national SSCE and JAMB examination results, followed by an aptitude test at centers in Port Harcourt, Warri, Enugu, Lagos, and Abuja.
There are two categories within the Scholarship Scheme: the National Merit Award (NM), open to all Nigerian undergraduates, and the Areas of Operation Merit Award (AOM), specifically for students from communities where Shell Nigeria operates. Only first-year students are eligible for awards in both categories.
Shell Nigeria receives an average of 16,000 applicants annually in response to their advertisements inviting qualified candidates to apply for scholarships, which are only tenable in Nigerian Universities. For more information, visit shell.com.ng.
6. Agip Postgraduate Scholarship Award Scheme
Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited presents an annual scholarship as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, focusing on the training and development of manpower. Each year, NAE invites eligible and interested Nigerian graduates to apply for the Post Graduate Scholarship Award Scheme, which is divided into two categories:
- Overseas: For studies at reputable universities abroad
- Local: For studies at recognized Nigerian universities
The NAE scholarship award covers tuition, books, field trips, accommodation, living expenses, and a return economy ticket for the selected one-year course of study.
7. LNG Scholarships Scheme
Annually, Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) invites applications from qualified candidates for the esteemed NLNG Scholarships Scheme. This scholarship opportunity is available to students at all levels of study and is part of an ongoing annual scholarship program.
Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited supports education through various initiatives, including Scholarships. NLNG’s four-tier scholarship program aims to develop human capital, encourage high performance, and cultivate a pool of high-potential students, graduates, and professionals with a competitive edge.
a. NLNG Undergraduate Scholarship
The Undergraduate Scholarship is for first-year undergraduates in Nigerian Universities. Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) is currently accepting applications for its 2020 Undergraduate Scholarship Award.
The deadline for submission of applications for the NLNG undergraduate scholarship award is May 13th, 2020. First-year undergraduates in Nigerian Universities are encouraged to apply for this Scholarship Award, which seeks to promote academic excellence by supporting top-grade Nigerian students throughout their tertiary education.
A total of 2,833 undergraduates from various universities in Nigeria have benefited from the scholarship scheme, with over N600 million spent. The value of the scholarship has been increased from N100,000 to N300,000 per awardee for an academic year and continues for the duration of the student’s course.
b. NLNG International Postgraduate Scholarship Program
The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) offers an annual International Postgraduate Scholarship Program for Master’s Degree studies in the United Kingdom. The program’s objective is to cultivate a group of highly talented Nigerian graduates and professionals with a competitive edge.
This scholarship by one of the foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria covers various disciplines, including Environmental Studies, Engineering, Management, Accountancy, Economics, Information Technology, Geology, Banking, Law, and Medicine.
8. MTN Science & Technology Scholarship Program
Another of the foundations that help students pay school fees in Nigeria is the MTN Foundation Science & Technology Scholarship Program is among the leading scholarships in Nigeria. It aims to attract high-achieving, full-time second-year students enrolled in public tertiary institutions (universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education) across the country. This scholarship offers financial assistance to students who might otherwise struggle to afford their tertiary education and seeks to recognize and reward academic excellence.
Up to 500 exceptional full-time Nigerian students pursuing science and technology-related courses are granted the scholarship, which encompasses tuition fees, book allowances, and stipends. The scholarship is renewed annually for existing recipients until graduation, as long as they maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.5 or it is equivalent (second class upper/upper credit). New applications from second-year full-time students are encouraged when the opportunity arises.
Since its inception in 2010, more than 5,000 scholarships have been awarded, with each scholarship valued at N200,000.00 (Two hundred thousand Naira) per academic year. This covers tuition fees, book allowances, and living expenses for one academic year. Applications can be submitted through the MTN Foundation website.
10. Jim Ovia Foundation Scholarship
You can try the Jim Ovia Foundation Scholarship which is one of the top Nigeria’s top scholarships by a foundation. Established and funded by Mr. Jim Ovia in 2004, the scholarship aims to provide financial support to extraordinary Nigerian youths. In 2007, the scholarship program expanded to include the MUSTE scholarship, which provides funding for undergraduate studies for the entire duration of recipients’ undergraduate programs.
11. TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship
TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship Program Another esteemed scholarship in Nigeria is the TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship Program, which offers financial assistance to African post-graduate students who have been admitted to MBA programs.
For 2019, The Financial Times MBA Global Ranking lists the top ten schools as follows: Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, University of Pennsylvania: Wharton, Ceibs, London Business School, University of Chicago: Booth, MIT: Sloan, Columbia Business School, and University of California at Berkeley.
All successful African MBA applicants of the top ten business schools (as ranked by The Financial Times) are eligible for The TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship, regardless of their country of residence. The scholarship is awarded to successful candidates before the annual intake for that business school. The TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship aims to provide supplementary financial support to help African students alleviate some of the financial burdens associated with pursuing MBA programs.
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