Every year, thousands of Nigerian students miss free money for one reason: timing. A scholarship opens in April, closes in late May, and by the time you hear about it on WhatsApp, the portal is shut for another twelve months.
This calendar fixes that. Below is when each of the major Nigerian scholarships typically opens and closes, which ones are open right now, and exactly what to do during the quiet months so you're never caught off guard again.
One rule before anything else: a legitimate scholarship never asks you to pay an application fee. If anyone requests money to "process" or "guarantee" an award, it's a scam. Every scholarship on this page is free to apply for.
Open right now (as of late June 2026)
Most of Nigeria's heavyweight scholarships have already closed for this cycle. But two solid, currently-open options are still worth your time:
Albukhary Foundation Scholarship — Fully funded undergraduate study (tuition plus living costs) at Albukhary International University in Malaysia. It has been running since 2005 and is open to Nigerian students. Best suited to ambitious secondary school leavers ready to study abroad. Deadline: 31 July 2026.
Stephen Toriola Excellence Scholarship — A Nigeria-based award for undergraduates who combine academic excellence with community impact, aimed at students facing financial hardship. Deadline: 30 July 2026.
If you qualify for either, prepare your documents this week. The rest of this guide is about the bigger, proven schemes — and when they come back.
The year at a glance
| Period | Scholarships that typically open |
|---|---|
| January – March | Document-prep season. Most merit scholarships are closed; start gathering transcripts and results. |
| April – June | Peak season. MTN Foundation, PTDF In-Country, David Oyedepo Foundation, Federal Government Scholarship. |
| July – September | Tail end. A few foundation and state scholarships; some study-abroad deadlines. |
| October – December | Jim Ovia Foundation and NLNG open their cycles. |
The takeaway: the April-to-June window is the busiest, so the smartest students prepare documents between January and March. A second smaller wave opens in October.
The proven scholarships (and when they reopen)
These are the schemes with a long, verifiable record of actually awarding students year after year. Bookmark this section and check back as each window approaches.
MTN Foundation Science & Technology Scholarship
One of Nigeria's most established private scholarships, running since 2010. It awards 400 students ₦300,000 per year, renewable until graduation. It targets 300-level STEM students (and 400-level medical students) in public tertiary institutions. Typically opens: around April, closing late May.
PTDF In-Country Scholarship
A Federal Government scheme under the Petroleum Technology Development Fund. It covers tuition and provides a stipend and a laptop for students in oil, gas, energy and related fields at public universities. Undergraduate applicants generally need to be in their second year with a strong CGPA. Typically opens: around April, closing late May / early June.
David Oyedepo Foundation Scholarship
A full-tuition award (up to five years) to study at Covenant University or Landmark University. Open to African students aged 16–25 with excellent results — Nigerian applicants generally need a JAMB score comfortably above the cut-off. Typically opens: around May, closing in June.
Jim Ovia Foundation Scholarship
Funded by the founder of Zenith Bank and running for over two decades, it has supported well over a thousand beneficiaries. It awards around 100 new students each year ₦250,000 annually, renewable for the full duration of study. Open to Nigerian undergraduates in public universities. Typically opens: October to December.
NLNG (Nigeria LNG) Undergraduate Scholarship
A long-standing programme paying ₦300,000 per year to fresh 100-level students in federal and state universities, renewable through graduation. Typically opens: October to December.
Federal Government Scholarship (FGSB)
A government scheme for undergraduates in federal and state universities. Timing depends on annual budget approval, so it can shift. Typically opens: between April and July.
Dates above are based on recent cycles and can move year to year. Always confirm the exact deadline on the scholarship's official portal before you rely on it.
What to do in the off-season
The students who win are rarely the smartest — they're the most prepared. When portals are closed, get these ready so that when a scholarship opens you can apply in an afternoon instead of scrambling for a week:
- Academic transcript or result statement, signed and stamped by your department. This is the single most common thing people can't produce in time.
- A Head of Department (HOD) recommendation letter — many require one dated within the last four months, so know who you'll ask.
- O'Level results (WAEC, NECO or NABTEB) — at least five credits, scanned and legible.
- Admission letter and a valid means of identification (NIN is increasingly required).
- A strong personal statement / statement of purpose. Write a clean 300–500 word version now and adapt it per application. Speak to your goals, your field's relevance to Nigeria, and why you deserve support.
Scan everything to clear PDFs, name the files sensibly, and keep them in one folder. Future-you will be grateful.
How to spot a real scholarship
With so many opportunities floating around, here's a quick filter:
- It's free to apply. No exceptions.
- It has an official portal or verifiable organisation behind it — a foundation, company, or government agency, not just a WhatsApp number.
- It states clear eligibility and a real deadline, and selects on merit and need rather than "first come, first served" hype.
- It tells you not to use agents. The genuine ones insist you apply yourself.
If a "scholarship" fails any of these, walk away.
Don't miss the next window
The next big wave opens in October with Jim Ovia and NLNG, and the largest wave returns in April with MTN, PTDF and the Federal Government scheme. Use the months in between to get your documents in order.
Save this page, share it with a friend who's job-hunting for funding, and check back — we update the dates each cycle so you always know what's open.