In a landmark effort to ease the financial burden of education and drive inclusive national development, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has significantly increased scholarship grants across all academic levels as part of a comprehensive reform of its scholarship programme—the most ambitious in over a decade.
This transformation was unveiled by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa CON, during a high-level meeting with the Federal Scholarships Board. The reform is designed to enhance merit-based access, improve economic relevance, and foster inclusivity, while significantly increasing financial support to students at all academic levels.
As part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the revamped scholarship programme is aligned with efforts to position Nigeria as a $1 trillion economy by prioritizing education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Medical Sciences (STEMM), and vocational training.
To address rising education costs and ensure equitable access to quality learning, scholarship amounts across all levels have been increased by 50%. PhD students will now receive ₦750,000 annually (increased from ₦500,000), Master’s students ₦600,000 (increased from ₦400,000), and undergraduate, HND, and NCE students will receive ₦450,000 annually (increased from ₦300,000). These increases apply to all major scholarship programmes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Award.
As promised by the Honourable Minister of Education to restructure the BEA scholarship programmes, existing beneficiaries will continue to receive their awards, while the funds initially allocated for new awardees have been repurposed to introduce two new scholarship categories under the revamped scheme. The first targets students in public polytechnics enrolled in STEM and vocational programmes, with ₦1 billion allocated to support this group. The second category is dedicated to students studying Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy in public universities, also supported by a ₦1 billion fund. Both scholarship streams are financed through a strategic reallocation of the BEA budget, now redirected to address critical national education priorities.
A revised allocation framework has also been introduced to ensure fair and impactful distribution of scholarships. Under the new structure, 50% of awards will be allocated to undergraduate students, 25% to Master’s, and 25% to PhD candidates. Within each tier, 70% of awards will prioritize STEMM disciplines, while 30% will support Social Sciences. In a milestone effort to promote inclusivity, 5% of all scholarships will be reserved for students with disabilities.
These reforms are expected to benefit over 15,000 students through the Nigerian Scholarship Award, the Education Bursary Award, and the restructured BEA scheme. Implementation will be coordinated by the Federal Scholarship Board in partnership with an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education. The committee includes representatives from the National Assembly, Federal Character Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, and other key stakeholders to ensure transparency, fairness, and compliance with national policy.
With a combined budget of ₦6 billion for the 2025–2026 cycle, the reformed scholarship programme reflects a bold national investment in youth development. Dr. Alausa emphasized that the initiative goes beyond educational funding—it is a deliberate strategy to cultivate the human capital required for Nigeria’s long-term transformation.
The Ministry reaffirms its commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in delivering this renewed scholarship agenda in alignment with national aspirations.
Signed
Boriowo Folasade
Director Press and PR
