The Federal Government on Wednesday announced a 50 per cent increase in scholarship grants to Nigerian students across all tertiary levels.
Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, who announced this in a statement posted on his X handle, said the decision was in line with the government’s unwavering commitment to building a more inclusive and knowledge-driven nation.
Alausa said, “Through the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Government has significantly increased scholarship grants across all academic levels, easing the financial burden on students and families, while enhancing access to quality education for all. This initiative is a key pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education at the heart of Nigeria’s transformation into a $1 trillion economy.
“To tackle the rising costs of education and to ensure that no deserving student is left behind, scholarship amounts have been increased by 50 per cent across the board. PhD students will now receive ₦750,000 annually (up from ₦500,000), Master’s students ₦600,000 (from ₦400,000), and undergraduate, HND, and NCE students ₦450,000 (up from ₦300,000).”
Alausa said the revised programme emphasised merit, equity, and relevance to national development priorities—particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medical Sciences (STEMM), and vocational education.
He explained, “These enhanced awards apply to all major programmes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Award. As earlier pledged, we have also restructured the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme. While existing beneficiaries will continue to receive their entitlements, funds previously earmarked for new international awards have been repurposed to introduce two new strategic scholarship categories under the national programme. The first targets students in public polytechnics pursuing STEM and vocational training, with ₦1 billion allocated to this group.
“The second is tailored for students studying Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy in public universities, also supported with ₦1 billion. These new categories reflect our commitment to investing in high-impact sectors critical to national development.”
According to him, under the new structure, 50 per cent of scholarships will go to undergraduate students, 25 per cent to Master’s students, and 25 per cent to PhD candidates.
