PhD scholarships for Nigerians to study in the UK

PhD funding in the UK alleviate one of the top obstacles for students from developing countries seeking a degree here: money. Now, the good news is the UK plans to recruit at least 600,000 international students per year by 2030. To do this, it will provide more accessible information to interested applicants, make it easier for international students to get jobs here, and provide more scholarships as well as financial aid.

We list some of the top options for PhD funding in the UK:

Commonwealth Scholarships

Every year, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission gives Nigerian students a chance to apply for Masters and PhD funding under different categories. This includes the Commonwealth Scholarship for Developing Countries, Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme, Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships, Commonwealth Professional Fellowships for Commonwealth Developing countries and Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships.   

Several prestigious organisations offer PhD funding in the UK. Source: Badru Katumba/AFP

Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund 2021 for African researchers

This fund offers financial support to encourage research, training and engagement activities between Cambridge and Sub-Saharan Africa. Deadline falls on Sept. 3, 2021. 

Rhodes Scholarship

This award is one of the oldest and most prestigious scholarship programme in the world. It recognises outstanding young leaders who are tackling global challenges and promote international understanding and peace. The University of Oxford now offers two Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa each year.

The Rhodes Scholarship is for two years in the first instance. However, up to three years of fees and stipend is available to Scholars who choose to undertake a DPhil (PhD) at Oxford.

Many PhD funding in the UK for Nigerians are generous, making study abroad dreams a reality. Source: Michael M. Santiago/AFP

Reckitt-LSHTM PhD studentships 

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine offers students from Sub-Saharan Africa fully-funded PhD studentships on research projects that address the links between hygiene and health in Sub-Saharan Africa.