NNPC-SNEPCo Postgraduate Scholarship

Benefit

You get a fully funded one-year MSc in the UK, at either the University of Aberdeen or Newcastle University. The scholarship pays your full tuition, one economy return flight from Nigeria to the UK, health insurance that meets UK student visa rules, and a contribution towards your living costs. The living-cost amount follows the rates published by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, so no fixed figure is set. It is funded by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) together with the national oil company NNPC and their partners. You owe SNEPCo or NNPC no work afterwards, and they owe you no job.

Eligibility

• Nationality: You are Nigerian and living in Nigeria. Applicants from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja can apply.
• Course: You have an admission offer for one of the eligible one-year MSc courses at Aberdeen (for example Geophysics or Advanced Chemical Engineering) or Newcastle (for example Data Science, Artificial Intelligence or Engineering Management). These subjects relate to the oil and gas industry.
• Degree: You hold, or will hold before you start, a degree equal to a UK Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1).
• English: You have at least IELTS 6.5 and meet the university's language requirement.
• Age: You are 21 to 28 years old on 30 September 2026.
• NYSC: You have completed your National Youth Service by September 2026.
• Passport: You have a Nigerian passport valid until at least December 2026.
• No prior study abroad: You have not already studied in the UK or another developed country.
• No conflict of interest: You cannot apply if you work for SNEPCo, the Shell group or the two universities, if you are a close relative of such staff, or if you left one of them less than 5 years ago.

How to apply

First apply for admission directly to Aberdeen or Newcastle for one of the eligible courses. Once you have a formal admission offer, fill in the scholarship form on that university's website. Your completed form must reach the university by 8 June 2026. SNEPCo interviews shortlisted candidates and makes the final selection.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is cut narrowly. You must be Nigerian, hold a 2:1-level degree, secure admission to a specific list of oil-and-gas MSc courses, and have never studied abroad before. The two-step gate (a university offer first, then the scholarship) keeps the field smaller than for open scholarships. If you clearly meet the criteria, secure your admission offer early and perform well at the SNEPCo interview, your prospects are solid.