FG Invites Nigerian Graduates for 2027/2028 UK Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme

The Federal Ministry of Education has officially extended an invitation to eligible Nigerian university graduates, urging them to apply for the prestigious 2027/2028 Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowship Plan. The application window for these opportunities, which are tenable in the United Kingdom, is set to close on October 20, 2026.

This crucial scholarship announcement was initially disseminated by the Lagos State Scholarship Board. The scheme offers support for two academic pathways: a one-year taught Master's degree programme or doctoral research that can span a maximum of three years.

The official notice originated from the Ministry's Department of Scholarship Awards, a body formerly recognized as the Federal Scholarship Board. It bore the signature of Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, the Director overseeing the Office of PSE, who acted on behalf of the Minister of Education.

As outlined in the notice, individuals applying for the Master's programme must possess a first degree with a minimum academic standing of a Second Class Upper Division. For prospective doctoral candidates, the requirements include holding a pertinent Master's degree, alongside a first degree with at least a Second Class Lower Division. A mandatory requirement for applicants across both Master's and doctoral categories is to have secured provisional admission into a minimum of two institutions within the United Kingdom. Additionally, those seeking doctoral scholarships must furnish a supporting statement from a potential supervisor at their selected UK university.

The ministry also specified that proof of participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is an essential part of the eligibility criteria. The selection methodology, according to the announcement, will evaluate candidates based on three core aspects: "Academic merit, Development impact on completion, and Quality of Study plan."

All submissions for the scholarship must be made via the designated Electronic Application System. Candidates are expected to first register on the EAS portal and then proceed to complete the online application form. Furthermore, applicants need to upload scanned copies of several documents, including their passport photographs, official university academic transcripts, birth certificates, and the admission letters from the UK institutions specified in their application. The deadline for submitting fully completed online applications is October 20, 2026.

Following the online submission, candidates are instructed to generate a PDF version of their completed form, download it, and print one hard copy. This hard copy will be required for submission at the interview location. For those with foreign academic certificates, the notice explicitly states that these must be accompanied by official translations and evaluations.

Prospective scholars were strongly advised to align their study proposals with Nigeria's national developmental priority areas, ensuring relevance to their chosen fields of specialisation. These critical priority sectors encompass education, health, economic growth and the private sector, governance and conflict resolution, climate and environmental issues, water and sanitation, engineering, science and technology, food and nutrition, and humanitarian disasters and emergencies. The ministry reiterated the importance of ensuring that all proposed academic pursuits directly contribute to Nigeria's development requirements.

For comprehensive details regarding the scholarship and its selection criteria, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website. Additional inquiries can be addressed to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards, via email at [email protected] or through phone numbers 09124516750 and 09082454557. The direct link to the application portal is https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships-results/?wpv_view_count=13930&wpv-cscukscholarshipcountry=nigeria&wpv_filter_submit=search.