The Federal Government (FG) has announced a significant overhaul of its national scholarship programme, its first major reform in over a decade, with a total budget of ₦6 billion for the 2025-2026 academic cycle.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, includes a substantial increase in scholarship grants, a restructuring of international awards, and a new focus on key sectors critical to national development.
In a statement, Alausa declared the reform a “landmark” achievement aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” and its goal of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy.
The updated programme is designed to be more inclusive, merit-based, and directly relevant to national priorities, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medical Sciences (STEMM), and vocational education. To combat the rising cost of education, the government also increased scholarship amounts by 50% across all academic levels.
Under the new structure, annual grants for PhD students will rise from ₦500,000 to ₦750,000, Master’s students from ₦400,000 to ₦600,000, and undergraduate, Higher National Diploma (HND), and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) students from ₦300,000 to ₦450,000.
These increases apply to all major federal scholarship programs.
The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme has also been restructured. While existing beneficiaries will continue to receive their funds, money previously allocated for new international awards has been repurposed to create two new strategic national scholarship categories.
One category, with a budget of ₦1 billion, is dedicated to students in public polytechnics pursuing STEM and vocational training. The second, also with a ₦1 billion allocation, is for students studying Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy in public universities.
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To ensure fairness, a new allocation framework has been introduced.
Undergraduate students will receive 50% of the scholarships, while Master’s and PhD candidates will each receive 25%. Across these categories, 70% of awards will be for students in STEMM disciplines, with the remaining 30% going to students in the Social Sciences.
Additionally, 5% of all scholarships will be reserved for students with disabilities to promote inclusion. The government estimates that more than 15,000 students will benefit from the various schemes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Award and the Education Bursary Award. Implementation will be overseen by the Federal Scholarship Board in collaboration with an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
This committee includes representatives from the National Assembly, Federal Character Commission, and Ministry of Women Affairs, among others, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Alausa described the reform as more than a policy change, calling it “a bold national investment in our youth, our future, and our collective prosperity.”
He urged all stakeholders to support the initiative to help realise its full potential in building the human capital foundation for Nigeria’s long-term success.
