If you are a Nigerian student who just gained admission into a university and you are worried about how to fund your education, the OANDO Scholarship 2026 might be exactly the relief you need. This scholarship is not new, but every year it opens, thousands of students miss it simply because they did not know about it or they did not apply correctly. This guide is here to make sure that does not happen to you.
In this article, you will find everything you need to know about the NNPC OANDO Scholarship 2026, also known as the NEPL/OERNL JV Tertiary Scholarship Scheme. We will cover what the scholarship is, who can apply, what documents you need, how the selection works, and a step-by-step process for submitting your application before the deadline.
What Is the OANDO Scholarship 2026?
The OANDO Scholarship 2026 is a merit-based undergraduate scholarship jointly offered by NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL) and OANDO Energy Resources Nigeria Limited (OERNL). It is part of their Joint Venture Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, which is aimed at supporting bright and deserving Nigerian students as they pursue their tertiary education.
The official name of the program is the NEPL/OERNL Joint Venture Tertiary Scholarship Scheme, though it is widely referred to as the NNPC OANDO Scholarship or simply the OANDO Scholarship. The 2026/2027 edition opened on March 3, 2026, and the application deadline is April 1, 2026.
Selected students receive an annual grant of ₦200,000, and this payment continues from the year of selection all the way to their final year of study, as long as they maintain the required academic performance. That means this is not a one-time gift but a long-term financial commitment to your education.
OANDO PLC is one of Nigeria’s most prominent energy companies, and this scholarship is one of the ways it invests in the next generation of Nigerian professionals. The NNPC, which stands for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, is the federal government’s oil and gas company, and their partnership in this scheme lends it a level of credibility and structure that students can rely on.
Why This Scholarship Matters
For many Nigerian families, paying university fees every year is a serious challenge. The cost of tuition, accommodation, textbooks, and daily living expenses can be overwhelming, especially in an economy where the naira keeps losing value. That is the reality that this scholarship tries to address.
What makes the OANDO Scholarship stand out from many other awards in Nigeria is the fact that it is renewable. You do not apply once and then scramble for money the next year. Once you are selected, ₦200,000 drops into your account every year until you graduate, as long as you meet the CGPA requirement your school requires.
The oil and gas sector in Nigeria has been one of the strongest backers of tertiary education funding through scholarship schemes, and OANDO’s partnership with NNPC represents one of the most structured and consistent programs available. If you are in your first year at a Nigerian university, you should take this seriously.
Who Hosts This Scholarship?
Before going into the eligibility details, it is useful to understand who is behind this scholarship so you know you are dealing with a legitimate and well-established program.
The scholarship is administered under the NEPL/OERNL Joint Venture framework. Here is what each name means:
NEPL stands for NNPC E&P Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC Limited). The NNPC is the state-owned oil and gas company in Nigeria and one of the most important institutions in the country’s energy sector.
OERNL stands for OANDO Energy Resources Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of OANDO PLC. OANDO is one of Nigeria’s leading integrated energy companies, with operations spanning exploration, production, and downstream energy services.
Together, they manage several oil and gas operations as a joint venture, and this scholarship is part of how they give back to Nigerian communities and support human capital development across the country.
Categories of the OANDO Scholarship 2026
The NEPL/OERNL JV Tertiary Scholarship Scheme 2026 is divided into two distinct award categories. Understanding which category you fall under is important before you begin your application, because applying for the wrong one could get your application rejected.
1. Host/Transit Communities Merit Award
This category is strictly for students who are indigenes of OANDO Host or Transit Communities. These communities are located in four specific states in Nigeria, which are Rivers State, Bayelsa State, Delta State, and Imo State.
If you come from any of these states and your community is an OANDO host or transit community, you should apply under this category. Note that you must be an indigene of these communities and not just a resident.
Under this category, there are no specific course restrictions. What matters most is your community of origin and your academic performance.
2. National Merit Award
The National Merit Award is open to students from any other part of Nigeria who do not belong to OANDO host or transit communities. However, this category comes with a specific course requirement.
To be eligible for the National Merit Award, you must be studying one of the following fields: Engineering, Geology, Geosciences, or Agricultural Science.
If you are studying Law, Education, Economics, or any other field outside these listed courses, you will not qualify for the National Merit Award. So it is very important to check your course before applying.
Eligibility Requirements for the OANDO Scholarship 2026
The eligibility criteria for this scholarship are specific and strictly enforced. Before you touch the application portal, go through this list carefully.
You must be a registered full-time undergraduate student in a Nigerian tertiary institution. Part-time students are not eligible.
You must be a certified 100-level student at the time of application. Only students who were admitted during the 2024/2025 academic session are eligible. If you are in 200 level or above, you cannot apply.
You must be a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Non-Nigerians are not eligible for this award.
You must not already be receiving any scholarship from another company or organization operating in the oil and gas industry, whether the scholarship is national or international. The oil and gas industry in Nigeria maintains a shared database to prevent students from benefiting from more than one oil and gas scholarship at the same time. So if you currently receive a scholarship from Shell, Chevron, Total, SEPLAT, or any similar company, you are not eligible.
For the National Merit Award, you must be studying Engineering, Geology, Geosciences, or Agricultural Science.
For the Host/Transit Communities Merit Award, you must be an indigene of OANDO host or transit communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, or Imo State.
Who Should NOT Apply
The scholarship organizers have made it clear that certain groups of students should not apply because doing so could lead to outright disqualification. Pay attention to this section to save yourself time and embarrassment.
Students in 200 level or higher should not apply. The system will automatically disqualify you based on your admission year.
Dependants of staff of OANDO PLC or any of its subsidiaries should not apply. This conflict of interest provision is taken seriously.
Students who are already beneficiaries of similar scholarship awards from other companies or government agencies should not apply.
Students applying for the Host Communities Merit Award who are not actually indigenes of OANDO host or transit communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, or Imo State should not apply under that category.
Multiple applications from a single individual attract an automatic disqualification penalty. Apply once and apply correctly.
Scholarship Benefits
Now let us talk about what you actually receive if you are selected for the OANDO Scholarship 2026.
The primary benefit is an annual grant of ₦200,000. This money is paid out every year from the time of your selection until the final year of your undergraduate degree program.
The scholarship is renewable, meaning you do not need to go through a new application process every year. As long as you maintain the required CGPA and comply with the terms of the award, the payment continues.
The grant is designed to support tuition fees, accommodation, academic materials such as textbooks, and other related educational expenses.
Compared to many other scholarship programs available to Nigerian undergraduates, ₦200,000 per year is one of the higher amounts being offered in the local scholarship space, which is why competition for this award is intense every year.
Required Documents for the OANDO Scholarship 2026
Before you go to the application portal, make sure you have all the required documents scanned and ready. Submitting incomplete or blurry documents is one of the main reasons applications get rejected. The screening system can automatically flag unclear uploads.
Here is the list of documents you need to prepare:
A passport photograph with a white background. The photo should not be more than six months old, must be 450 pixels by 450 pixels in size, and the file must not exceed 200 kilobytes.
Your JAMB (UTME) result or admission letter from your institution. This serves as proof that you are a 100-level student admitted in the 2024/2025 academic session.
Your O’level result (WAEC or NECO). This is used to verify your academic performance before university.
Your university identification card or any valid student identification document.
A letter of identification from your institution or department confirming your enrollment as a full-time student.
For applicants under the Host/Transit Communities Merit Award, you will also need a letter from your Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman confirming your community of origin.
A signed copy of the NAOC Compliance Declaration Form. This form must be completed, signed, and uploaded. You can download the compliance form directly from the scholarship portal.
Your National Identification Number (NIN). While obtaining your NIN is not listed as a strict requirement to complete your application, the portal gives you the option to update your application with your NIN after completing your registration at an NIMC office. It is advisable to include it if you have one.
Name all your documents clearly according to what they represent before uploading. Mixing up document labels is a common error that slows down processing or causes rejection.
