Masters Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Japan 2026-2027

What this page lists

This page collects 7 masters scholarships in Japan that are open to international applicants, including Nigerians. Every one of the seven is labelled fully funded by the award itself, so you are not sifting through partial tuition waivers or fee discounts here. The list covers taught and research masters, and several of the awards also fund PhD study, which matters if you are weighing a masters now against a longer research path later.

The awards come from Japanese universities, from the Honjo International Scholarship Foundation, from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and from participating academic institutions. Some are large national schemes; others are run by a single university or foundation. Read each entry on its own terms rather than assuming the terms are identical.

Who can apply

Of the seven awards, 2 state that Nigerians may apply. Both of those carry no nationality restriction at all. None of the seven names Nigeria or the West African region in its eligibility text, so do not expect a Nigeria-specific quota. For the remaining five, the award page does not state eligibility on the face of it, which usually means the conditions sit in the full call document or on the university's own page. Treat those five as worth checking rather than as closed.

You need a first degree or HND to enter a masters. The qualifications that typically lead in are B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS and HND. Where an award states a minimum class of degree, the phrase you will see is usually "upper second" — that corresponds to Second Class Upper (2:1) on a Nigerian transcript. Whether an HND is accepted is decided by each university, not by this page, so confirm it directly with the department before you spend money on transcripts.

What the awards pay for

These are the benefits named in the awards' own text. They are what the award says it covers, not a promise about your particular offer.

• Tuition: named by 6 of the 7 awards
• Living costs: named by 6
• Travel: named by 6
• Accommodation: named by 4
• Health insurance: named by 3
• Research or training costs: named by 2

A fully funded package in Japan commonly bundles tuition, a monthly stipend and a flight, and the counts above reflect that pattern. Accommodation and insurance appear less often, so if those costs would fall on you, check the individual award before you build a budget. Where an award does not label its funding either way, this page says nothing about what it covers.

What the applications demand

The requirements below are counted from what the awards state in writing.

• Letters of recommendation: 5 awards
• An English test score (IELTS or TOEFL): 3
• A research proposal: 2
• A minimum degree class: 1
• Work experience: 1
• A commitment to return home afterwards: 1

Recommendation letters are the single most common ask, so line up your referees early — a former lecturer and a current or recent supervisor is the usual combination. Only three awards name an English test, which means several do not require IELTS or TOEFL on the face of the award; where a test is not named, the university may still set its own English requirement at admission. Two awards want a research proposal, which is a different kind of writing from a taught-masters statement of purpose: it needs a question, a method and a reason the work belongs in that department.

Deadlines and how they fall

One award on this page carries a dated deadline, and it is still open. MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship 2026-2027 closes on 13 November, which is 36 days from now. It is listed under Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University and covers masters and PhD study. You can read it here: MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship 2026-2027.

Six of the seven are undated on this page, and one is recurring. November is the busiest month among the deadlines we hold. That pattern is normal for Japan: the university-recommendation route runs on its own calendar, while foundation and university awards often publish dates that shift year to year. If an award shows no date, go to the provider's page and look for the current call rather than assuming the window has closed.

Other awards on the list

The remaining entries cover the main routes into Japanese masters study. MEXT Scholarship 2027 (Fully Funded) is the broad national scheme, open across undergraduate, masters, PhD and training levels. JICA Scholarships Japan 2026-2027 Fully Funded runs through partner Japanese universities in collaboration with JICA and covers masters and PhD. ADB–Japan Scholarship Program 2027 Fully Funded is a masters award placed at partner universities across Asia and the Pacific. University of Tokyo Fellowships 2026-2027 Fully Funded covers masters and PhD at UTokyo with tuition, stipend and research support. Honjo International Scholarship Foundation 2026-2027 is a foundation award for masters and PhD students.

Fields of study

The subject spread on this page is narrow and worth knowing before you apply. Business and management, economics and finance, law, and public policy and development each appear once. If your target is engineering, the sciences or agriculture, the awards here may still be open to you through a general university scheme, but the page itself does not list a field-specific award in those areas. Check each award's eligible-department list rather than the label on this page.

Nigerians in Japan

Japan is not a large destination for Nigerian students. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics recorded 198 Nigerian students in Japan in 2023, ranking the country 44th by that measure. That is a small community, which cuts both ways: you are unlikely to find a large Nigerian network on campus, and a department that has never read a Nigerian transcript may need you to explain your grading. Keep a plain one-page note on the Nigerian degree classification system ready to send with your application.

What to do next

Start with the award that closes soonest. The MEXT university-recommendation route closing on 13 November is the one dated deadline on this page, and it requires a university to nominate you, so the first step is contact with the department, not the form. Ask your referees for letters now, since five of the seven awards require them. Order transcripts and plan for courier costs early — those are real money out of pocket, and Japanese deadlines do not move for postal delays. If an award names an English test, book it; if it does not, confirm the university's own requirement before assuming you are exempt. For the six undated awards, go to the provider's page and pull the current call, then work backwards from that date.