7 UK Scholarships For Nigerian Students

As a citizen of Nigeria, have you been on a search for UK scholarships for Nigerian students and you are already giving up on your search? Wait a while with me as I bring them to your doorsteps through this blog post.

One of the easiest ways for one to study abroad in any country of choice is through obtaining a scholarship that is made available by that country. As a result, there are thousands of scholarships standing by for interested individuals who wish to pursue a career beyond the shores of their homeland.

Different countries offer different scholarships for international students for different purposes. There are scholarships for black students and also for scholarships for Mexican students in Canada. International students who are interested in sports also have sports scholarships available for them.

Just as this article will be focused on UK scholarships for Nigerian students, there are other hot scholarships for Nigerian students to study abroad and also Canadian scholarships for them. Let’s delve right into what this blog post is all about without further ado.

UK scholarships for Nigerian students

UK scholarships for Nigerian students

The UK scholarships for Nigerian students that are available for application will be listed and discussed in this section. They are as follows;

  • Common Wealth Scholarship
  • Chevening Scholarship
  • Developing Solutions  Scholarship
  • UK Government GREAT Scholarship
  • Federal Government of Nigeria BEA Scholarship
  • Rhodes Scholarship
  • Gates Cambridge  Scholarship

1.       Common Wealth Scholarship

Commonwealth Scholarships is the first on our list of UK scholarships for Nigerian students. This scholarship is awarded to talented individuals with the potential to make a positive impact on the global stage. Commonwealth Scholarships are managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK. As part of the UK’s ongoing commitment to the Commonwealth, each year, around 700 students are given the chance to undertake postgraduate degrees with UK universities. To apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of a Commonwealth country. You will still be eligible if you are a refugee or a British-protected person.

Learn More and Apply

2.       Chevening Scholarship

Chevening Scholarships enable outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK. Because these scholarships are fully funded (flights, accommodation, and course fees are all included), you are free to focus on achieving your professional goals and maximizing the experience of a lifetime. You will live and study in the UK for a year, during which time you will develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. On completing your studies, you will leave the UK equipped with the knowledge and networks necessary to bring your ideas to life. It is the next on the list of UK scholarships for Nigerian students. To know the eligibility requirements for the scholarship, Click Here.

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3.       Developing Solutions  Scholarship

The University of Nottingham is offering scholarships covering 50% or 100% of full-time masters tuition fees for innovative and passionate students who can propose development solutions for their home countries within African, South Asian, and selected Commonwealth countries. This one-year scholarship is available to support innovative and passionate students who can successfully demonstrate their ingenuity in developing solutions that will impact their home countries and incite change. To apply for this scholarship, you must:

  • be domiciled in Africa, India, or one of the selected Commonwealth countries
  • be classed as an overseas student for fee purposes
  • hold an offer to start a full-time master’s (including MRes) for 2024/2025 at the University of Nottingham UK, studying in the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, or Faculty of Social Sciences

Learn More and Apply

4.       UK Government GREAT Scholarship

GREAT Scholarships which is the next on the list of UK scholarships for Nigerian students offers students the opportunity to receive £10,000 towards their tuition fees for a wide range of one-year taught postgraduate courses in the 2024-25 academic year at universities across the UK. For the 2024-25 academic year, postgraduate scholarships are available to students from Nigeria at the following institutions;

  • City, University of London
  • Edge Hill University
  • Keele University
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • Royal College of Art
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • The University of Manchester
  • University College London
  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Bristol
  • University of Derby
  • University of East Anglia
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Southampton
  • University of Stirling
  • University of Warwick
  • University of York

To be eligible for a scholarship, you must:

  • be a citizen of Nigeria.
  • have an undergraduate degree, be motivated, and have an interest in the proposed subject area
  • meet the English language requirement of the UK HEI
  • establish an engagement with the UK as a scholar, through personal and academic fulfilment
  • be willing to attend a networking event of all UK-based GREAT scholars, to discuss experiences and capture perceptions of studying in the UK
  • be willing to maintain contact with the British Council and their HEI and act as an ambassador for the GREAT Scholarships
  • as an alumnus of the GREAT Scholarships, be willing occasionally to speak to potential candidates about their own experience of studying in the UK

In other to apply for this scholarship, follow the steps below;

  • Visit the university page to find out more information and then follow the link through to the university’s website.
  • Apply for individual scholarships following the instructions on each university’s scholarship web pages.
  • The deadline to apply for a GREAT Scholarship varies according to each institution. For details on individual institutions’ deadlines, please see the institution page.
  • Individual universities will inform successful scholars on the results of their applications.
  • Scholarship funding will be issued to successful scholars by individual universities after registration.

Learn More and Apply

5.       Federal Government of Nigeria BEA Scholarship

The Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship is offered by the government of Nigeria. This scholarship sponsors undergraduate and postgraduate students who wish to study in countries like Russia, Hungary, Egypt, China Serbia Romania Algeria, and Morocco. To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must fulfill the following requirements;

For Undergraduate Scholarship

  • All applicants must possess a minimum of 7 distinctions (As and Bs) in the senior secondary school certificate, WASSCE, WAEC in the subject relevant to their fields of study including English Language and Mathematics
  • The certificate should not be more than two years old
  • The age limit is from 17 to 20 years old

For Postgraduate scholarship

  • All applicants must hold a First Degree with First Class or at least 2nd Class Upper Division
  • All applicants must have completed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Programme
  • The age limit is 35 years for Masters and 40 years for Ph.D

To apply for this scholarship, you have to follow the steps below;

  • Visit the Federal Ministry of Education Website and click on the Federal Scholarship Board Icon on the homepage
  • Read the guidelines and complete the application form online
  • Print the completed application form.

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6.       Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity to join outstanding young people around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Applications for the next round of Rhodes Scholarships open in June 2024. The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full-time, postgraduate award that enables talented young people around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars come to the UK for two or more years and can apply to study most full-time postgraduate courses offered by Oxford University. The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend. For the 2023/24 academic year, the stipend is £19,092 per annum (£1,591 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation.

Learn More and Apply

7.       Gates Cambridge  Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was established in October 2000 by a historic donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001. Since then, the Trust has awarded over 2,000 scholarships to scholars from more than 100 countries.

Each year Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to Ph.D. students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round. The selection criteria are:

  • outstanding intellectual ability
  • reasons for choice of course
  • a commitment to improving the lives of others
  • leadership potential

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding. To find out more about the scholarship and application process, Click Here

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Conclusion

Having seen the UK scholarships available for Nigerian students, Nigerian students who wish to study there can take advantage of any one of these scholarships mentioned and apply.

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