Nigerian undergraduates in public universities can now apply for the 2026 National University Scholarship Award offered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo).
Successful applicants will receive annual financial grants throughout their undergraduate studies, subject to meeting the scholarship’s academic requirements.
The scholarship is open to full-time students in their second year of study who have a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.5 on a five-point grading scale.
The application deadline is November 30, 2026.
Shell announced the scholarship in a video shared on its official X account, directing interested candidates to submit their applications through the Scholastica scholarship portal.
According to information on the portal, the programme is aimed at promoting academic excellence and developing the skills of young Nigerians.
Female students are particularly encouraged to apply.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship, applicants must:
– Be Nigerian citizens.
– Be full-time second-year students in a public Nigerian university accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
– Have a minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a five-point scale or its equivalent.
– Not be receiving any other scholarship from an organisation in the oil and gas industry, either locally or internationally.
Documents required
Applicants are expected to upload scanned copies of the following documents during registration:
1. A recent passport photograph in JPEG format, not exceeding 200KB.
2. University or Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission letter.
3. Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.
4. O’Level results and A-Level, Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or National Certificate in Education (NCE) results, where applicable.
5. A letter of identification from the applicant’s state of origin showing their local government area.
6. Academic results showing the applicant’s CGPA after completing the 100-level.
7. A completed government official declaration form, which can be downloaded from the scholarship portal.
How to apply for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship
Interested and qualified candidates are required to follow these steps:
1. Visit the official application portal: https://candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo26.
2. Click on the ‘Apply Now’ tab and select ‘Register Now’ to create an account.
3. Check your email for the confirmation message and activate your account through the link provided.
4. Return to the portal and log in with your registered email address and password.
5. Complete the application form by providing the required personal, educational and other details, including your National Identification Number (NIN), if available.
6. Upload the required documents, including your admission letter, UTME result, O’Level results, state of origin identification letter and academic records.
7. Download the government official declaration form, complete it and upload the signed copy alongside the other documents.
8. Ensure that the names on your application match those on your supporting documents. Applicants with differences in their names must provide an affidavit or certificate.
9. Check all uploaded documents to ensure they are clear and accurate. The passport photograph must have a white background.
10. Return to the ‘Active Scholarships’ section, select the NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship and click ‘Apply Now’ to submit your application.
11. Check the notification displayed on the screen and your email for confirmation that your application has been successfully submitted.
12. Log in to your Scholastica account and download your application profile. The document must be signed by your Head of Department and uploaded to the portal for verification.
Applicants who do not have a NIN are required to complete their enrolment through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before updating their scholarship applications with the number.
Selection process and application deadline
According to the organisers, only candidates who meet the eligibility requirements will be invited to participate in a monitored computer-based test.
The top 10 candidates from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will be shortlisted for academic verification before the scholarship offers are made.
Applicants found to have submitted falsified documents will be disqualified.
Successful beneficiaries are also required to maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a five-point grading scale, or its equivalent, in every academic session to retain the scholarship.
Applications must be submitted through the official Scholastica portal on or before November 30, 2026.
The organisers stressed that the application is free and warned applicants against fraudulent websites and individuals demanding money to facilitate the process.
They also clarified that applications submitted by email would not be accepted and that SNEPCo had not appointed any agents or representatives to assist candidates.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the computer-based test, while scholarship awards cannot be transferred to another university or course of study.
