We list 4 fully Funded Masters Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Canada, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 3 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
Written from the 4 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 4 fully funded masters scholarships in Canada that are open to Nigerian students. Every award here is labelled fully funded by the body offering it, and every one of the four is a masters-level opportunity. Three of the four also carry bachelor's or PhD study, so a Nigerian applicant holding a first degree and looking at postgraduate study will find the masters route relevant in each case.
The providers are McGill University, the University of Waterloo, the University of Saskatchewan, and Humber College in Toronto. That mix matters: three are research universities and one is a college in Toronto, so the page is not only about thesis-based study. If you have been told that Canadian funding is reserved for PhD candidates, this list is the counter-example.
Of the four awards, 3 are open to Nigerian applicants. None of those three names Nigeria or the African region in its eligibility text; they are open because they carry no nationality restriction at all. The remaining award does not state its eligibility on the page, so treat it as unconfirmed until you read the award's own terms.
That distinction is worth holding on to. An award that does not name your country is not the same as an award that excludes it, but it also is not the same as an award that has confirmed you. Read the eligibility section of each award before you spend money on transcripts.
Fully funded is a phrase that gets used loosely, so here is what the four awards actually say in writing. 2 of the 4 name tuition in their own text. 1 names travel. The rest of what each award covers is set out on the individual award page, and you should read it there rather than assume a standard package.
No award on this page states a cash value or a number of awards in the data behind this list. That is not a gap you can fill by guessing from other scholarships. Where an amount is not published, the university's own financial aid or graduate studies office is the place to ask, and asking early costs nothing.
2 of the 4 awards state letters of recommendation as a requirement. That is the single most common stated ask on this page, and it is the one Nigerian applicants most often underestimate. A referee who has moved institutions, changed email, or gone on leave can hold up an application for weeks.
Start with your referees. Ask a supervisor from your B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND programme who taught you in a course where you did well, and give them your transcript, your statement, and the deadline in writing. Two weeks' notice is reasonable; two days is not.
Beyond that, expect the usual Canadian graduate application file: transcripts, a statement of purpose or research interest, and an English test unless your previous degree was taught in English and the university grants a waiver. Waivers are decided by each university, not by this page, so check the specific award's requirements.
The pathway into this level is straightforward. You hold a first degree or an HND — a B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND. Both taught and research masters are represented in Canadian funding, so you are not limited to a thesis route.
One detail trips up a lot of applicants. Awards usually state a minimum class of degree, and the phrase you will see is "upper second". On a Nigerian transcript that corresponds to Second Class Upper, or 2:1. If your result is a 2:2, do not assume you are out — some awards set a different bar or weigh research experience — but do read the wording rather than skim it.
Whether an HND is accepted for a given masters programme is decided by each university. There is no blanket answer, and no page can give you one. If you hold an HND, contact the graduate admissions office of the university you are targeting and ask directly.
One award on this page has a stated date: the University of Saskatchewan Graduate Scholarship 2026-2027, which closes 28 February. That is the next deadline on the list. The other three are dated differently: one is tied to admission deadlines, one says to see details, and one varies according to programme. One of the four recurs.
February is the busiest month on this page, with 1 deadline falling in it. That is a small number, but it is also the month that arrives fastest if you start in January. Work backwards from 28 February: transcripts requested, referees briefed, English test booked if needed, statement drafted.
Three of these four are open to Nigerians on the basis that they carry no nationality restriction. The fourth does not state eligibility, so read it closely before you commit time to it.
Open the Saskatchewan award first, because it has the nearest deadline and a date you can plan against. Read its eligibility line and its document list, then decide whether you are applying. If you are, message your referees the same week.
Then work through the other three. For McGill, the deadline is the admission deadline, so your scholarship application is effectively your programme application — check the graduate programme's own closing date. For Waterloo, read the details page for the date. For Humber, check the deadline for the specific programme you want, because it varies.
Keep your documents in one folder: WAEC or NECO results, degree transcript and certificate, a current CV, your statement, and your referees' contact details. Transcripts and courier fees cost real money, so order them once and order them for the universities you are actually applying to.
One last thing. Canada hosted 12,072 Nigerian students in 2023, the third-largest group of international students from any country, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. You are not attempting something unusual. You are joining a well-worn route, and the four awards on this page are part of how that route is funded.
Looking to study in Canada without the burden of tuition fees? Great news for aspiring international students! Canada offers a wide range of fully funded scholarships for Nigerian students in 2026-2027, making world-class education accessible and affordable. These scholarships cover tuition, living expenses, health insurance, and even travel costs—opening doors to top-ranked Canadian universities. Whether you're applying for undergraduate, master's, or PhD programs, this guide lists the best funding opportunities available. Studying in Canada not only provides academic excellence but also a multicultural environment, permanent residency pathways, and globally recognized degrees. Read on to explore the top scholarship programs in Canada for international students and learn how to apply successfully.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2023.
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