The Federal Government has raised the value of its annual scholarship grants to N750,000 for PhD students, N600,000 for Master’s students, and N450,000 for undergraduates, Higher National Diploma (HND), and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) students.
This upward review represents a 50 per cent increment across all categories and forms part of a broader N6 billion scholarship reform under the Ministry of Education aimed at modernising and refocusing the scholarship system to meet the country’s evolving development needs.
The Ministry, in an official statement posted on its verified X (formerly Twitter) account, said the policy will take effect from the 2025–2026 academic year and will benefit over 15,000 Nigerian students across tertiary institutions nationwide.
The updated scholarship programme places strong emphasis on disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM), as well as vocational and technical education.
The government said this focus is essential to produce graduates with practical skills required to build the Nigerian economy.
According to the new policy structure, PhD students will now receive N750,000 per academic year, up from the previous N500,000. Master’s students will receive N600,000, increased from N400,000.
Undergraduate, HND, and NCE beneficiaries will now be entitled to N450,000 annually, instead of N300,000.
Also, the Federal Government has introduced two new scholarship categories.
The first targets students in STEM and vocational programmes in public polytechnics, while the second is specially designed for medical and health science students, including those studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and physiotherapy, in public universities.
Both categories have been allocated a combined funding envelope of N2 billion.
The statement from the Ministry of Education noted that “these reforms represent the most significant transformation in over a decade and align with the government’s agenda to prioritise education as the foundation for national growth and social mobility.”
Furthermore, the government has reviewed the disbursement structure for the scholarships. Under the revised formula, 50 per cent of the awards will be directed to undergraduate students, 25 per cent to Master’s students, and another 25 per cent to PhD candidates.
It also stated that 70 per cent of all scholarships will be allocated to STEMM-related disciplines, while the remaining 30 per cent will go to Social Sciences, Arts, and other non-STEMM fields.
Meanwhile, the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, which previously offered international scholarships, has been restructured.
The Federal Government disclosed that funds previously earmarked for fresh international placements under the BEA scheme have now been redirected to strengthen local scholarship opportunities for students in Nigerian institutions.
In a related development, the Ministry of Education stressed that the new direction is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which includes “a commitment to reposition Nigeria’s education system and ensure that no qualified student is left behind due to financial constraints.”
Education stakeholders have lauded the development, describing it as a bold and overdue step toward making higher education more accessible and attractive, especially in critical and underserved sectors.
