We list 3 fully Funded Scholarships Open to Nigerian Students in the United Arab Emirates, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
Written from the 3 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 3 fully funded scholarships in the United Arab Emirates that are open to Nigerian students. Every award here is labelled fully funded by the provider, so there is no partially funded or tuition-only option mixed into the list. All three are at United Arab Emirates institutions: Khalifa University, the American University of Sharjah, and Muhammad Bin Zaid University.
Because the list is short, you can read every entry in full rather than skimming. That matters when each application asks for transcripts, courier fees and, in some cases, an English test you have to pay for before you know whether you have a place.
The list leans towards postgraduate study. All 3 awards are open at Masters level and all 3 are open at PhD level. One award, the American University of Sharjah scholarship, is also open at Bachelors level, so if you are applying with WAEC or NECO behind you rather than a B.Sc or HND, that is the entry to look at first.
The three institutions do not split neatly by level. Khalifa University and Muhammad Bin Zaid University sit at Masters and doctoral level, while the American University of Sharjah spans undergraduate, Masters and doctoral study under one award.
Read the funding language on each award page carefully, because "fully funded" is the provider's own label and the detail varies.
These counts describe what the awards state in their own text. They are not a promise that every cost you will face is covered, and they are not a ranking. Where an award names tuition but not travel, the honest reading is that the provider has written down tuition and has not written down travel. Ask the admissions office directly about anything the award text leaves open.
The subject spread is narrow and technical. Computer Science & IT appears once, Engineering once, and Natural Sciences once. If your background is in the humanities, social sciences, law or business, this particular list is unlikely to serve you, and you should search the wider site by field instead.
For Nigerian applicants holding a B.Sc or HND in engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics or chemistry, the fit is more direct. A strong final-year project or an M.Sc dissertation in one of those areas gives you something concrete to point at when the award asks about research interest.
All 3 awards are open to Nigerian students. None of them names Nigeria or the region as a restriction, and none of them states a nationality restriction at all. In practice that means your eligibility turns on your qualifications and your documents, not your passport.
Two of the awards state a minimum degree class. That is the point where Nigerian applicants most often lose ground, because a Third Class or a Pass will not clear a stated minimum, and a 2:2 may not either depending on how the provider words it. Check the exact wording on each award page before you spend money on a transcript.
Two of the awards ask for an English test score, either IELTS or TOEFL. These tests cost money and the result takes time to arrive. If you studied your previous degree in English, look at whether the individual award offers a waiver, but do not assume one exists unless the award page says so.
Beyond qualifications, the requirements on this list are the usual postgraduate set:
The research proposal is the item that takes longest to do well, and it is the one Nigerian applicants most often leave until the week of the deadline. If the award you are targeting asks for one, start it before you request your transcript, because your referee and your transcript office will both take time you cannot recover later.
Letters of recommendation mean asking a lecturer or supervisor who knows your work. Give them your CV, your draft proposal and the award's own description of what it funds. A generic letter written in ten minutes reads like one.
The deadlines on this list are mixed, and one of them is close enough to plan around now.
One award carries a dated deadline, one is still open, one recurs, and two are undated in the listing. April is the busiest month on this page, with one deadline falling in it. Where a deadline is undated, open the award page and read the provider's own instructions rather than relying on the summary here.
Muhammad Bin Zaid University also gives a duration note: a full-time Masters runs for 2 years. Plan your funding and your living arrangements around that, not around a single academic year.
Start with the Khalifa University award if you are ready to apply this cycle, because 14 April is a firm date and 188 days is enough time to sit an English test, request transcripts and get a proposal reviewed properly.
If you are applying at undergraduate level, the American University of Sharjah is the only award on this list open to you, so give it your full attention.
Before you pay for anything, open each award page and confirm three things: the minimum degree class in the provider's own words, whether an English test is required or waived, and exactly which costs the award names. Then work backwards from the deadline. Transcripts from Nigerian universities and courier delivery take weeks, not days, and a referee who is on strike or travelling can cost you a full cycle. Give every document more time than you think it needs.
Looking for a fully funded opportunity to study in the Middle East’s most dynamic academic hub? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a top destination for Nigerian students, thanks to its world-class universities, cutting-edge research facilities, and generous scholarship programs.
For the academic year 2025-2026, several fully funded scholarships in UAE are available to outstanding international students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. These scholarships typically cover tuition fees, monthly stipends, free accommodation, visa support, health insurance, and in some cases, travel expenses.
The UAE is home to prestigious universities such as United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Khalifa University, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and American University of Sharjah, all of which offer generous funding for exceptional students.
A browser notification when a scholarship you can apply for is added or about to close. No account needed.
