Undergraduates in public universities across Nigeria can apply for the 2026 National University Scholarship Award jointly offered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo).
The programme provides financial support to successful applicants through annual grants that will continue until they complete their university education.
The scholarship is open to Nigerian undergraduates in their second year of full-time study who have attained a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.5 on a five-point grading scale.
Applications for the award are scheduled to close on November 30, 2026.
Shell announced the scholarship in a video shared on its official X account, directing interested students to submit their applications through the Scholastica online scholarship portal.
According to information published on the platform, the initiative is aimed at promoting academic excellence and developing the capabilities of young Nigerians, with female students particularly encouraged to apply.
Eligibility requirements
Applicants must satisfy specific academic and personal requirements to be considered for the award.
To qualify, candidates must be Nigerian citizens enrolled as full-time second-year students in public universities accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
They must also have a minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a five-point scale or its equivalent under another grading system.
The scholarship is not available to students already receiving financial support from another organisation within the oil and gas industry, either in Nigeria or internationally.
Documents required for application
The application guidelines require candidates to upload scanned copies of relevant personal and academic documents through the Scholastica portal.
These include a recent passport photograph in JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 200 kilobytes, as well as a university or Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board admission letter.
Applicants must also provide their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination result, O’Level certificate and, where applicable, A-Level, Ordinary National Diploma or National Certificate in Education results.
Other required documents are a state-of-origin identification letter indicating the applicant’s local government area, academic records showing their CGPA after completing their first year, and a completed government official declaration form.
The declaration form can be downloaded through the link provided on the scholarship application platform.
How to apply
Interested candidates are required to complete their applications online by following the prescribed registration and submission process.
First, applicants should visit the official scholarship portal at https://candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo26 and select the ‘Apply Now’ option.
They should then click on ‘Register Now’ to create an account and activate it through the confirmation link sent to their email addresses.
After activation, candidates must return to the portal and sign in using their registered email addresses and passwords.
Applicants are required to provide their personal and educational information, including their National Identification Number (NIN), where available.
They must subsequently upload the requested documents, including their admission letter, UTME result, O’Level certificate, state-of-origin identification letter and first-year academic records.
Candidates are also expected to download the government official declaration form, complete it accurately and upload the signed document alongside the other requirements.
The names provided in the application must correspond with those on the supporting documents, while applicants with discrepancies are required to submit an affidavit or certificate explaining the differences.
Candidates should ensure that all uploaded files are legible and accurate, while their passport photographs must have a white background.
After completing these steps, applicants should navigate to the ‘Active Scholarships’ section, select the NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship and click on ‘Apply Now’ to submit their applications.
A confirmation notification should appear on the screen and be sent to the applicant’s email address to indicate successful submission.
Applicants must also download their application profiles from their Scholastica accounts, obtain the signature of their Heads of Department and upload the signed copies for verification.
Candidates who do not have NINs are required to complete enrolment through the National Identity Management Commission before updating their applications with their identification numbers.
Selection process and application deadline
The scholarship organisers said candidates who satisfy the eligibility conditions would be invited to participate in a monitored computer-based test.
Following the examination, the 10 highest-performing candidates from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will be shortlisted for academic verification before the award is granted.
Applicants found to have submitted forged or falsified documents will be disqualified from the selection process.
Successful beneficiaries must also maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a five-point grading scale, or its equivalent, at the end of every academic session to retain the scholarship.
All applications must be completed and submitted through the official Scholastica portal no later than November 30, 2026.
The organisers emphasised that applying for the scholarship is free and cautioned prospective beneficiaries against fraudulent websites and individuals requesting money to facilitate their applications.
They also stated that applications submitted through email would not be considered, adding that SNEPCo had not authorised any agents or representatives to assist candidates with the process.
Only shortlisted applicants will receive invitations for the computer-based test, while scholarship awards cannot be transferred to another university or course of study.
