We list 4 scholarships Open to Nigerian Students in Turkey, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 3 of them are fully funded.
Written from the 4 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 6 min read.
This page collects 4 scholarships in Turkey that are open to Nigerian students. They are grouped here because each one either names Nigeria or the region in its eligibility text, or sets no nationality restriction at all. On this list, the second case applies to all four: none of the awards names Nigeria specifically, and none of them shuts Nigerian applicants out by nationality. That is the plain reading of the eligibility wording on the awards themselves.
The providers are a mix. Two are individual Turkish universities, Koc University and Bilkent University. One is a government scheme that routes students into various Turkish universities. One is Eastern Mediterranean University. Between them they cover undergraduate, master's and doctoral study, though the weight of the list sits at postgraduate level.
Turkey is not a fringe choice for Nigerian students. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 3,669 Nigerian students were studying in Turkey in 2023, which placed Nigeria fifth among the countries sending students there. That figure matters for a practical reason: it means there are established Nigerian communities on Turkish campuses, and it means admissions offices at these universities have seen Nigerian transcripts, WAEC results and NYSC certificates before.
The degrees on offer here are taught in English at several of the institutions, which is part of why the list is workable for a Nigerian applicant who has never studied Turkish. You will still meet Turkish language in daily life, but the application itself does not require it.
Three of the four awards are labelled fully funded. One does not state its funding position either way, so nothing can be said about what it covers. For the three that do state it, the pattern is consistent and broad.
These are the benefits the awards name in their own text. Read each award page for the exact wording, because a line item like travel can mean an arrival flight, an annual return ticket, or a fixed contribution, and the difference matters when you are budgeting from Lagos or Abuja.
The list is postgraduate-heavy. All 4 awards are open at master's level and all 4 are open at PhD level. Only 1 award is open at bachelor's level, and that is the government scheme, which takes undergraduate, master's and doctoral students through a single application.
If you are finishing a B.Sc or HND and looking for a taught master's, you are working with the full list. If you are applying for a doctorate, you are also working with the full list. If you have just finished secondary school and are looking for an undergraduate place, your options here are narrow and you should read that one award carefully before building a plan around it.
Programme lengths vary by award and by level. The brief records master's durations of two years with thesis, three years across six semesters, and a range of one to two years; doctoral durations run from four years up to a range of two to five years. Confirm the length on the specific award page rather than assuming.
On nationality, yes. All 4 awards are open to Nigerian students, and none of them names Nigeria or the region as a restriction. There is no award on this page where your passport is the obstacle.
The real filters are academic and documentary. Here is what the awards state in writing:
Two things deserve emphasis for a Nigerian applicant. First, the English test requirement is written into three of these awards, so unless an award page states a waiver route, budget for IELTS or TOEFL and book early, because test slots in Nigeria fill up. Second, the minimum degree class requirement means your transcript is doing real work here. A strong Second Class Upper or better keeps you in contention for the awards that set a class threshold; a lower class narrows your field considerably. Check the exact class each award asks for, because they do not all phrase it the same way.
The research proposal requirement is worth planning around. Two awards ask for one, and a proposal written in a week reads like it. If you are applying at PhD level, start drafting before you start filling forms.
Between them, these awards ask for a transcript-backed degree class, an English test score, references and, in some cases, a research proposal. That is a document set you can assemble, but not in a fortnight, and not without spending money.
For a Nigerian applicant the cost is concrete. Transcripts from your university carry a fee, and some institutions are slower than others. Courier costs for sealed transcripts and recommendation letters add up quickly. Test registration is another line. If an award requires an admission offer before the scholarship application, you are running two processes in sequence, and the university's own admission timeline will set your pace.
Recommendation letters need lead time too. Approach your referees with your CV, your statement of purpose and a clear deadline, and give them weeks rather than days. Two of these awards ask for letters, so this is not a formality you can leave to the last week.
None of the four awards carries a single fixed closing date in the brief, and none is marked as currently open. What the pages do show is a set of recurring windows and stated dates that repeat on a cycle.
Bilkent University lists March 18, June 6 and November 4. The Turkey Government Scholarship runs a window of January 10 to February 20, 2026. Eastern Mediterranean University lists January 09, 2026 and September 01, 2026. Koc University points to its own details page for the deadline.
The practical reading: these are annual cycles, and the dates above tell you when the next round falls rather than giving you a single date to circle. If you are targeting the government scheme, the January to February window is the one to build your document timeline around, which means transcripts, test scores and references need to be in hand by December.
Open the award pages and read the eligibility wording yourself, because that is where the degree class threshold, the test requirement and the document list are set out in full. Then work backwards from the deadline that applies to you.
Order your transcript now, not after you have chosen an award. Register for IELTS or TOEFL if the award you want requires it, and confirm whether the page offers any waiver route. Ask your referees early. If you are applying at PhD level, start the research proposal before anything else, because it is the piece that takes longest to get right and two of these awards ask for it.
Four awards is a short list, and the postgraduate weighting means it suits applicants who already hold a degree. Treat each one as a separate application with its own rules, and give the document trail the time it needs.
Are you a Nigerian student dreaming of pursuing higher education abroad without financial burden? Look no further! Turkey is emerging as a top destination for international students, and the Turkish Government and many universities offer fully funded scholarships specifically for international students, including internationals. These scholarships cover tuition fees, living expenses, airfare, health insurance, and more.
Why Study in Turkey?Turkey bridges Europe and Asia and offers a unique cultural, academic, and geographical environment. Some reasons to study in Turkey include:
High-quality education with globally ranked universities. Affordable living and tuition (even without a scholarship). Friendly visa policy and student-friendly atmosphere. Growing number of programs taught in English. Rich Islamic history and cultural familiarity for international students.*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2023.
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