The Federal Government has increased scholarship grants by 50 per cent, raising annual payments to N750,000 for PhD students, N600,000 for Master’s students, and N450,000 for undergraduates.
This adjustment is part of a N6 billion scholarship plan for the 2025–2026 academic cycle.
The policy was announced on Tuesday by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and detailed in a statement posted on the ministry’s official X account on Wednesday.
The ministry described the plan as the most comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s scholarship programme in more than a decade. It is expected to benefit over 15,000 students across the country.
According to the statement, the new programme places emphasis on merit and fairness. It also aligns scholarship funding with national development priorities by giving priority to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medical Sciences (STEMM) and vocational education.
“To tackle the rising costs of education and to ensure that no deserving student is left behind, scholarship amounts have been increased by 50% across the board. PhD students will now receive N750,000 annually (up from N500,000), Master’s students N600,000 (from N400,000), and undergraduate, HND, and NCE students N450,000 (up from N300,000). These enhanced awards apply to all major programmes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Award,” the statement said in part.
In addition to higher awards, the reform introduces two new scholarship categories. One is targeted at students in public polytechnics pursuing STEM and vocational courses, while the other is for students in public universities studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy. Each category has been allocated N1 billion.
The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme has also been restructured, with funds previously used for new international awards redirected to these domestic programmes.
Under the new allocation formula, 50% of scholarships will go to undergraduates, 25% to Master’s students and 25% to PhD candidates. Of these, 70% will be dedicated to STEMM disciplines and 30% to the Social Sciences, while 5% of all awards will be reserved for students with disabilities.
According to Dr. Alausa, the overhaul supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education at the centre of Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy.