NDDC Local Postgraduate (Master's Degree) Scholarship 2026/2027: Apply Now

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has opened applications for its 2026/2027 Local Post-Graduate (Master’s Degree) Scholarship, and the last day to submit is 8 November 2026. From today, 12 October, that gives you 27 days. The application is free.

This one is for Niger Delta indigenes who already have admission into a master’s programme in a recognised Nigerian university. If you are still waiting for admission, sort that out first.

NDDC Local Postgraduate (Master’s Degree) Scholarship 2026/2027: Apply Now

About this NDDC local postgraduate scholarship programme

NDDC is the federal agency that handles development in the Niger Delta. This 2026/2027 call is for the local scholarship, which means you study inside Nigeria.

The foreign postgraduate scholarship is a separate programme. Its 2026/2027 call already closed on 19 April 2026, so don’t mix the two up.

NDDC says the scholarship is meant for courses the region needs and for the Federal Government’s Local Content Programme. Applying does not mean you have been offered anything. Only the people NDDC finally approves become beneficiaries.

Important dates for the NDDC local postgraduate scholarship 2026/2027

Item	Date
Application deadline	8 November 2026
CBT date	Not announced yet
Oral interview date	Not announced yet

The call gives no dates for the CBT or the interview. Keep checking the NDDC website after you submit.

Don’t wait for the last week. NDDC itself says to submit well before the deadline.

Who is eligible to apply for the NDDC local master’s scholarship

You must be an indigene of the Niger Delta Region.
Age: 40 years or younger. NDDC’s wording is “not older than forty (40) years”.
A relevant bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, with at least Second Class Lower Division.
HND holders need at least an Upper Credit, plus a relevant Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) where it applies to your course.
A valid admission letter into a master’s programme in a recognised Nigerian university. Foreign admission won’t work for this one.
NYSC discharge or exemption certificate. No certificate, no application.
Anything else NDDC sets as a requirement.

Your first degree also has to be relevant to the master’s course you are going for. A law graduate going for a law master’s is fine. If you are changing fields, check the course list below before you apply.

Courses covered by the NDDC local postgraduate scholarship

Your master’s programme has to fall under one of these 12 areas:

Agricultural Sciences
Architecture
Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Geosciences
Humanities
Information Technology
Law
Management and Social Sciences
Medical Sciences
Education
Biotechnology/Biomedical Science

Humanities, Education and Management and Social Sciences are on the list, so this is not only for engineers and oil and gas people. A lot of students will not expect that.

Documents you need to apply for the NDDC local postgraduate scholarship

Upload clear copies of these:

Recent passport photograph
Local Government Identification Letter
Master’s degree admission letter from a recognised conventional university in Nigeria
Your relevant academic certificates and qualifications
NYSC discharge or exemption certificate
Birth certificate, or a valid statutory age declaration
Any other document NDDC asks for

Have your NIN slip ready too. It is not in the upload list, but NDDC says it checks it during screening.

Start with the Local Government Identification Letter. You can’t submit without it, and you need someone else’s office to give it to you, so get that moving before you start filling the form.

How to apply for the NDDC local postgraduate scholarship

Go to the NDDC website at www.nddc.gov.ng and open the scholarship application portal. The scholarship portal is at scholarship.nddc.gov.ng/login.
Fill the application form carefully. Check your names, dates and course against your documents before you move on.
Pick your preferred CBT zone on the registration portal.
Upload all the documents above.
Submit before 8 November 2026.
After you submit, the portal gives you a unique registration number. Print the acknowledgement slip and keep it.

How NDDC selects winners for this local master’s scholarship

There are six stages.

Online application. That is what you are doing now.
Preliminary screening. NDDC checks your WASSCE or NECO results, your undergraduate qualification, your PGD (if you need one), your Local Government Identification, your NIN slip and other approved requirements.
Computer-Based Test (CBT). If you pass screening, you are shortlisted for a CBT, held at centres in Akwa Ibom, Edo and Rivers State. You need at least 70% to go further, and even 70% does not mean you have won.
Oral interview. People who clear the CBT mark get invited.
Final verification. NDDC confirms your admission with your university, checks your certificates, and confirms through your Local Government Area that you are really an indigene. Where it applies, the Community Development Committee (CDC) is also involved.
Approval. Only candidates the Commission finally approves are beneficiaries.

NDDC also says it will give preference to qualified candidates from oil-producing host communities and Local Government Areas, as long as they meet the cut-off mark and other conditions. It will also try to spread beneficiaries and courses fairly across the Niger Delta states.

Things to know before you apply for the NDDC local postgraduate scholarship

The call does not say how much money you get or what the scholarship covers, so don’t assume it pays for everything. NDDC alone decides how many awards it gives and how they are shared.

Once you win, deferment, change of school and change of course are not allowed, unless NDDC approves it under its own rules. Pick your school and course carefully before you apply, not after.

False information, forged documents or lying about anything leads to disqualification.

Never pay anyone. The application, the CBT, the selection and the award are all free, and NDDC warns applicants not to pay any person or organisation for any part of it. Somebody saying they can “arrange” the scholarship for money is lying to you.

NDDC will not reply individually to people who are not shortlisted for the CBT, not invited to later stages, or not selected at the end. So if you hear nothing, check the portal and the official NDDC channels.

If you miss this one, other options exist. Our post on NELFUND student loan and scholarships in Nigeria explains the difference between a loan and a scholarship. If you would rather study outside Nigeria, see these 8 postgraduate scholarships Nigerian students can apply for to study a masters or PhD abroad. The Commonwealth Masters Scholarship checklist is worth a look too, but that one closes on October 20.

Read common mistakes that make Nigerian students lose scholarship slots before you press submit. If you reach the interview stage, the guide on how to write a scholarship personal statement will help you tell your story clearly. For more offers like this one, check the Scholarships and Government Opportunities pages.