Chevening opened its 2027/2028 round on August 4, 2026, and it closes on October 6, 2026. That is not the only postgraduate scholarship Nigerians can go for right now. Some of the ones on this list are open this same month, some open in the next few weeks, and a couple won’t open until January or February 2027, but you need to know about all of them today so you can start preparing your documents early. If you are still at the undergraduate stage and this list is too far ahead for you, check our list of undergraduate scholarships Nigerian students can apply for every year first, then come back here when you’re closer to graduation.
For each scholarship below, you’ll see what it actually pays for, what the host country is like to live and study in, how hard it really is to get in as a Nigerian, and whether accommodation is sorted for you or left for you to handle.
1. Chevening Scholarship for Nigerians going to the UK for a masters
Chevening is the UK government’s own scholarship, and it only funds a one-year masters, nothing longer.
- Deadline: October 6, 2026, at 11:00 UTC
- Degree level: Masters only (one year)
- Apply here: chevening.org/scholarship/nigeria
It pays your full tuition, no matter how expensive the course is. On top of that you get a monthly living allowance set at the rate for whichever UK city you’re studying in (London pays more than other cities), plus your economy flight to the UK and back. You don’t even need an admission offer before you apply. Chevening runs its own process first and only asks for your unconditional university offer after you’ve been interviewed.
Living in the UK for a year has real upsides. The masters is short, so you’re in and out in twelve months instead of two or three years like in some other countries, and a UK degree still opens doors fast when you’re back home job hunting. There’s also a large Nigerian community in most UK cities, so settling in isn’t as lonely as it sounds. On the other side, the cost of living outside your stipend, transport, random extra fees, can eat into your allowance fast, especially in London. The weather stays grey for most of the year too. And Chevening comes with a bonding condition. You’re expected to return to Nigeria for a period after your masters, so this isn’t really a route into staying in the UK permanently.
Getting in is not easy at all. Nigeria consistently sends one of the largest applicant pools to Chevening every single year, and also one of the largest rejection pools. For the 2024/2025 cohort, only 32 Nigerians got selected out of more than 11,000 applications. Your four essays carry almost the entire weight of your application, so treat them like the main event, not paperwork.
On accommodation, Chevening doesn’t hand you a room. Your monthly stipend is calculated to cover rent and living costs in your specific city, and you’re the one who finds and rents a place, usually through your university’s accommodation office or student housing listings.
2. DAAD EPOS Scholarship for Nigerians going to Germany for a masters or PhD
DAAD runs many scholarship programmes, but EPOS is the one built specifically for postgraduate students from developing countries like Nigeria, and applications for the 2027/2028 intake are open right now.
- Deadline: varies by course, most fall between August 31 and October 2026
- Degree level: Masters and, in selected programmes, PhD
- Monthly allowance: €992 for masters students, €1,300 rising to €1,400 (from February 2026) for PhD students
- Apply here: daad.de scholarship database
Beyond the monthly allowance, EPOS covers your tuition (which is already free or almost free at most German public universities anyway), health insurance, and your travel costs. You apply directly to the university running your specific programme, not to DAAD itself.
Germany’s biggest selling point is that public university education there is essentially free even outside a scholarship, so if you ever need a second degree later, you already know the system. The country also has a strong engineering and research base. After your studies, Germany gives you 18 months just to search for a job on a job seeker visa, longer than what most countries offer. The catch is that daily life runs on German, not English, even though your course itself may be taught fully in English. Finding a part time job, dealing with your local city office (the dreaded Bürgeramt), or even reading your own rent contract gets a lot easier if you pick up some German early. Winters are also long and dark, and German bureaucracy moves slowly, so patience matters here.
DAAD reports that acceptance across its EPOS programmes generally sits around 10 to 15 percent, which is tough but nowhere near as brutal as some of the others on this list.
For accommodation, your monthly allowance is meant to cover rent, but Germany’s official student dormitories (run by each city’s Studentenwerk) have long waiting lists in cities like Berlin and Munich, so apply for a dorm room the moment you get your admission letter, don’t wait until you land.
3. Commonwealth Masters and PhD Scholarships that go through Nigeria’s Federal Scholarship Board
Unlike Chevening, this one doesn’t go straight to the UK. It runs through Nigeria’s own Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) first, before your file ever gets near London.
- Deadline: The FSB usually opens its national window in September, closing through October, ahead of the UK Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s own deadline. For the 2027/2028 cycle, expect the FSB to open around September 2026.
- Degree level: Masters and PhD
- Eligibility: Minimum of Second Class Upper for masters (Second Class Lower is accepted for PhD), a completed or exempted NYSC, and admission to at least two UK universities
- Apply here: Commonwealth Masters Scholarships and the Federal Scholarship Board at education.gov.ng
It covers full tuition, your flight, and a living allowance. On top of that, it throws in a thesis grant and even a warm clothing allowance, since UK winters catch a lot of people from warmer countries like Nigeria off guard.
The advantages and disadvantages of studying in the UK here are the same ones under the Chevening section above: short masters duration, strong global reputation, but a high cost of living and a bonding condition afterward.
Nigerian applicants deal with two separate stages, not one. First, the FSB screens you and, if you pass, invites you to a nomination interview in Abuja. Only candidates who scale that stage get forwarded to the UK Commission for the real selection. That double filter is why this one has a smaller, quieter applicant pool than Chevening, but it also means you need to clear a Nigerian government process before you even get a shot at the UK side.
Accommodation isn’t handed to you directly, but because the living allowance is calculated per city (same as Chevening), it’s built to cover your rent once you find a place.
4. Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for a masters or PhD in South Korea
Winning GKS, South Korea’s own government scholarship, gets you something most of the others on this list don’t: an actual room to live in, not just money and a housing headache.
- Deadline: Not yet announced for the 2027/2028 cycle. Going by past years, expect the embassy track to open around September 2026 through the Korean Embassy in Abuja.
- Degree level: Masters and PhD
- Monthly allowance: 900,000 KRW for degree programmes, 1,500,000 KRW for research programmes
- Apply here: studyinkorea.go.kr
Full tuition is covered, plus a free year of Korean language classes before your actual programme starts, so you don’t need to speak a word of Korean when you apply. Medical insurance and relocation support come with it too.
South Korea is one of the safest countries you can study in, full stop, and its universities carry serious weight in engineering, tech, and the sciences. The free language year is also a real gift since it removes a barrier that trips up students in places like Germany and Turkey. On the flip side, the culture shock can hit hard. Korean academic culture is quite hierarchical and structured, and outside Seoul, you might find yourself as one of very few Nigerians, or the only one, on your whole campus, which can get lonely fast.
This one is one of the toughest scholarships in the world to get into, not just for Nigerians. GKS receives over 180,000 applications globally for around 2,370 spots each year, so treat your application, your study plan, and your personal statement with the same seriousness you’d give a job at a top company.
On accommodation, GKS stands out. Scholars get placed in on-campus housing directly, so unlike almost everything else on this list, you’re not left hunting for a room in a country you’ve never lived in before.
5. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship for Nigerians going to study across Europe
Erasmus Mundus, funded by the European Union, doesn’t send you to one country. It sends you to two, three, or sometimes four, all within the same two year masters.
- Deadline: No single deadline. Each programme sets its own, and most fall around January 2027 for study starting later that year
- Degree level: Masters only
- Apply here: Erasmus Mundus catalogue
There isn’t one Erasmus Mundus application. There are over a hundred separate joint masters programmes, each run by a group of at least three universities in at least three different European countries, and each with its own deadline and requirements. You can apply to up to three programmes in one cycle. Funding covers your participation costs, which usually means tuition, plus travel and insurance. There’s also a monthly living allowance, often quoted around €1,400, though the exact figure depends on which group of universities you’re placed with.
The upside of this one is real: you end up with a joint degree recognised across multiple countries, and moving through two or three of them during your masters is an exposure you can’t get from any single-country programme. The downside is the admin. Every time you move to a new country, you’re sorting new accommodation, sometimes a new visa, and a new bank account, all over again. That’s a lot for one student to carry through a two year programme, so go in ready for it.
Nigeria has done well with this one lately. For the 2025/2026 academic session, 104 Nigerians got selected out of more than 15,000 applications received worldwide for the EU’s Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Plus programme, and Nigeria held onto its spot as Africa’s top recipient country. So while it’s competitive, Nigerians are actually winning it in real numbers.
Accommodation is left to you to arrange at each university you move to during the programme, and because you’re changing cities so often, this is one you want to plan for well ahead of each move rather than scrambling on arrival.
6. Turkiye Burslari Scholarship for a masters or PhD in Turkey
A dormitory room comes standard with Turkiye Burslari, Turkey’s flagship government scholarship. That alone sets it apart from most of the others on this list.
- Deadline: The 2027 cycle is expected to open around mid-January 2027 and close around February 20, 2027
- Degree level: Masters and PhD (also Bachelors)
- Apply here: turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
It covers full tuition, free student accommodation, and return flights, plus a full year of Turkish language training and health insurance. On top of that there’s a monthly stipend, one that Nigerian applicant guides put somewhere between $300 and $600 depending on your study level. You also don’t need a prior university admission before applying. Turkiye Burslari places you at one of up to 12 programmes you rank in order of preference.
Turkey’s cost of living is a lot lower than the UK or Germany, and having your dorm room sorted from day one removes one of the biggest stresses of studying abroad. The government also handles your university placement for you, so you don’t spend months applying to schools separately. On the disadvantage side, most programmes are taught in Turkish, so unless you land one of the few English-medium courses, that mandatory Turkish language year isn’t optional, it decides whether you can actually follow your classes once they start. Turkey’s currency has also been unstable in recent years, which affects local prices even though your scholarship allowance stays fixed.
This scholarship gets around 250,000 applications a year worldwide for roughly 5,000 spots, and thousands of Nigerians alone apply for what usually works out to a small handful of places. It’s genuinely one of the hardest scholarships on this whole list to get into.
7. Islamic Development Bank Merit Scholarship for Nigerians going for a masters or PhD
Where you actually end up studying on this one depends on which partner university takes you. IsDB’s list of partner universities spans places like Malaysia, Turkey, and Morocco, among others, so your host country isn’t fixed the way it is with the scholarships above.
- Deadline: IsDB’s last intake closed on January 31, 2026. Expect the next call for the 2027/2028 academic year to open around November or December 2026
- Degree level: Masters and PhD (also Bachelors and postdoctoral)
- Eligibility (masters): Bachelor’s degree with strong grades, generally under 30 years old
- Apply here: IsDB scholarship page
It funds tuition, a monthly stipend, and other allowances that vary depending on which of its programme tracks you’re placed under, with priority given to fields like sustainable agriculture, health, engineering, IT, and renewable energy. IsDB does not charge any fee at any stage of the process. If anyone contacts you asking for money to “process” your IsDB application, that’s a scam. Report it.
Because your host country isn’t fixed, the advantages and disadvantages shift depending on where you land. What you do get across the board is access to countries with a generally lower cost of living than Europe, and a scholarship community built around shared faith and shared values, since it’s run for citizens of IsDB’s member countries. The disadvantage is that you don’t fully control where you end up, and teaching quality and facilities can vary quite a bit from one partner university to the next, so research your specific university before you accept a placement.
IsDB doesn’t publish a Nigeria-specific acceptance rate, but every guide describes it as highly competitive, especially for the PhD and postdoctoral tracks.
Accommodation support depends entirely on which host university you’re placed with. Some provide it directly, others fold it into your living allowance, so this is a detail you’ll want to confirm once you know your placement.
8. MEXT Scholarship for a masters or PhD in Japan through the Research Student route
Most Nigerians who end up studying in Japan through MEXT, the country’s own government scholarship, start out under the Research Student category before moving into a full masters or PhD. The whole thing runs through the Embassy of Japan in Abuja.
- Status right now: The 2027 embassy recommendation window in Nigeria has already closed. Going by the pattern from past years, expect it to reopen around late April or early May 2027
- Degree level: Postgraduate research leading into a masters or PhD
- What it pays for: Tuition, a monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare
- Where to watch for the next call: Embassy of Japan in Nigeria
Japan is hard to beat on safety and infrastructure, and having “MEXT Scholar” on your CV still carries weight years after you finish. The disadvantage is the language barrier outside your actual coursework. Renting an apartment, going to the hospital, even grocery shopping, all get noticeably easier if you’re picking up Japanese alongside your studies, and Japanese work and academic culture can feel intense if you’re not prepared for it.
The Embassy of Japan in Abuja doesn’t publish exact numbers for how many Nigerians make it through each year, but the process itself tells you it’s not a walk in the park. All documents go in physically, no email or online submission is accepted, and shortlisted candidates sit a written exam before facing a panel interview at the embassy in Abuja. Only after clearing that does your file get sent to Tokyo for final approval.
Accommodation isn’t guaranteed, and your monthly stipend is what’s meant to cover your rent, though some Japanese universities run their own dormitories you can apply to separately once you’re placed.
Chevening and DAAD EPOS are open right now, so if either fits you, don’t sit on it. For everything else, start pulling your transcripts, reference letters, and passport together this month so you’re not scrambling when the portal opens.
