The Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) is excited to launch the 2026 NHEF Scholars Program, marking a decade of empowering Nigeria’s future leaders. This prestigious early-career-accelerating initiative identifies talented penultimate-year students from partner universities who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a commitment to community service and philanthropy.
The program equips selected Scholars with intensive career training, skill-building, global exposure, and real-world experience to thrive in the professional world.
Key Dates for 2026 NHEF Scholars Program
- Application Opening Date: February 2, 2026
- Application Deadline: March 13, 2026 (11:59 p.m. WAT)
Early applications are strongly encouraged!
NHEF Partner Universities The program is open exclusively to penultimate-year students at these partner institutions:
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- Bayero University, Kano
- University of Ibadan
- University of Lagos
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- University of Port Harcourt
Eligibility Requirements for 2026 NHEF Scholars Program: To qualify, applicants must:
- Be penultimate-year students (300 Level for 4-year courses or 400 Level for 5-year courses) at one of the NHEF Partner Universities listed above.
- Demonstrate strong commitment to leadership, community service, philanthropy, and making a global impact.
- Show academic excellence and well-rounded involvement in extracurricular activities.
Selection is highly competitive and merit-based.
Benefits of the NHEF Scholars Program: The NHEF Scholars Program empowers talented Nigerian students with:
- A weeklong orientation with career development training by international facilitators.
- 6–8 week internship placements at prestigious NHEF Partner Firms.
- Robust curriculum for continuous personal and professional growth.
- Networking opportunities with CEOs, MDs, and influential leaders.
- Fully funded element,s including paid flights, accommodation, meals, and more in program activities.
- Long-term skills and networks to excel as global professionals and leaders.
How to Apply for the 2026 NHEF Scholars Program: Follow these steps to submit your application:
- Visit the official NHEF Application Portal: https://portal.thenhef.org/
- Register by creating an account: provide your first name, last name, email address, phone number, and password.
- Verify your email by clicking the link sent to your inbox (or copy-paste the URL into your browser).
- Log in with your new credentials.
- Click the APPLY tab on the dashboard.
- Complete all bio-data sections and answer the program essay questions carefully.
- Prepare and upload these supporting documents (all in PDF format):
- One-page Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- One-page Cover Letter
- Most recent Statement of Result
- Review your entire application and submit.
Important Application Tips
- The application portal does not allow saving progress to complete and submit in one session.
- Prepare your essay responses and documents in advance (e.g., in a Word document) for easy copy-paste and upload.