SNEPCo Scholarship 2026: How to Apply & Eligibility

If you are a Nigerian undergraduate student currently in your second year at a public university and you have been looking for a credible, well-funded scholarship from a globally recognized oil company, the SNEPCo scholarship is one of the most important opportunities on the Nigerian scholarship calendar. Jointly sponsored by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, this scholarship has been running annually for many years and has consistently provided financial relief to academically excellent students across all 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.

The scholarship provides a yearly cash grant that students receive from their second year of university all the way through to the completion of their undergraduate degree. It is renewable, it is merit-based, and it is structured to benefit the very best students regardless of which state they come from or what department they are studying in. If you want to understand everything about the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship including what it covers, who is eligible, what documents you need, how the selection process works, and what you should do to maximize your chances of winning, this is the guide for you.

What is the SNEPCo Scholarship?

The SNEPCo scholarship, officially known as the NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship Programme, is a merit-based corporate social responsibility initiative designed to promote academic excellence and improve the skills of young Nigerians. It is administered by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, commonly known as SNEPCo, on behalf of itself, NNPC Limited, and its co-venture partners in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

The scholarship is part of SNEPCo’s broader social investment strategy in Nigeria, which spans education, community development, health, and environmental initiatives. Through the National University Scholarship Programme specifically, SNEPCo invests in the academic future of Nigerian undergraduates, not just in communities close to its operations, but across all states and the FCT, making it one of the most geographically inclusive oil company scholarship programs in the country.

The program has been running consistently for many years, and it operates as part of a wider ecosystem of NNPC joint venture scholarships that also includes similar programs in partnership with other major international oil companies operating in Nigeria such as Agip Exploration, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies. These NNPC Joint Venture scholarship programs collectively represent one of the most significant pools of private corporate scholarship funding available to Nigerian university students each year.

It is important to note from the very beginning that the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship is a completely free program. SNEPCo does not charge any fee at any stage of the application or award cycle. There are no processing fees, administrative fees, or any other kind of charge. Any website, agent, or individual that claims to be able to help you secure the SNEPCo scholarship in exchange for money is running a scam. SNEPCo has explicitly stated that it does not assign representatives or agents to assist applicants. All applications must be submitted directly through the official portal only.

About SNEPCo and Its Role in Nigeria’s Oil Sector

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited is a deep-water oil and gas exploration and production company incorporated in Nigeria. It was established to manage Shell’s stake in Nigeria’s offshore oil and gas assets. SNEPCo operates some of Nigeria’s most significant deep-water fields, including the Bonga Field, which was Nigeria’s first deep-water oil project and is located approximately 120 kilometers off the coast of Nigeria in water depths of between 1,000 and 1,200 meters. The Bonga Field has made a significant contribution to Nigeria’s oil production since it came onstream in 2005.

SNEPCo is a subsidiary of Shell plc, the Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company, and operates in Nigeria as part of the Shell group’s long-standing presence in the country. Its co-venture partners in the deep-water joint ventures it manages include NNPC Limited, Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, and ENI’s Nigerian subsidiary. The NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship is jointly funded by this consortium of co-venture partners, which is why the scholarship carries both the NNPC and SNEPCo names and why it operates under the broader framework of the NNPC Joint Venture scholarship programs.

SNEPCo’s social investment activities, which include the National University Scholarship Programme, sit within its corporate social responsibility commitment to Nigeria. The company has a long track record of investing in Nigerian human capital development, and the scholarship program is one of its most visible and direct education interventions. By funding talented students at public universities across all states and territories of Nigeria, SNEPCo is investing in the talent pipeline that will shape Nigeria’s economy, energy sector, and broader development landscape in the decades ahead.

The NNPC/SNEPCo Scholarship Financial Award

One of the first things students want to know about the SNEPCo scholarship is how much money it pays. For the 2025 scholarship cycle, the scholarship provides a grant of 250,000 Nigerian Naira annually to every student who is successfully selected. This grant is paid each academic year from the time of award, starting from the student’s second year of study, and continues through to the completion of the undergraduate degree program.

What makes this particularly valuable is the renewable nature of the grant. You do not win a one-time payment and then have to reapply. Once you are selected as an NNPC/SNEPCo scholar, you continue to receive the grant every year you remain in the program, provided you maintain the required minimum academic standards. For a student who wins the scholarship in their second year and completes a four-year degree program, that is three full years of annual grants, which amounts to 750,000 Naira over the course of the scholarship period, not counting any adjustments made in future cycles.

The scholarship award is a financial grant, not a full tuition scholarship. It is designed to ease the financial burden of your education rather than replace your tuition payment entirely. Think of it as a meaningful, recurring financial injection that helps you stay focused on your studies, cover academic materials, manage transportation and accommodation costs, and reduce the financial pressure on your family. Many scholarship recipients have described it as transformational in terms of the psychological freedom it provides to focus on academics rather than worrying about money.

The scholarship award is subject to an important maintenance condition. Awardees must sustain a minimum CGPA of 3.5 per session on a 5.0 grade system, or its equivalent in other grading systems, throughout their time as a scholarship recipient. If your CGPA drops below this threshold in any academic session, the scholarship may be suspended or withdrawn. This condition exists because the program is explicitly merit-based and is designed to reward and support academic excellence, not simply provide financial relief regardless of performance.

Who is Eligible for the SNEPCo Scholarship?

The eligibility criteria for the NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship are very specific and non-negotiable. Understanding these conditions before you apply will save you time and avoid the frustration of submitting an application that is immediately disqualified. Here is a full breakdown of every eligibility requirement:

Nigerian Citizenship

You must be a Nigerian citizen. Permanent residents who are not citizens of Nigeria are explicitly not eligible for the scholarship, even if they are currently studying at a Nigerian public university. Your citizenship must be documented and verifiable through your national identity documents.

Second Year of Study at a Public Nigerian University

You must currently be in your second year, which is 200 level, of full-time undergraduate study. The scholarship is not open to 100 level freshers, to 300 level or higher students, or to final year students. It is specifically targeted at students who have just completed one full year of university and are entering their second year, because this is the period when many students experience financial strain and are at risk of having their academic progress disrupted by money problems.

The university must be a public Nigerian university that is accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Private universities are not included. Students at polytechnics, colleges of education, or vocational schools are also not eligible. The scholarship is strictly for students enrolled in NUC-accredited undergraduate courses at public universities in Nigeria. If you are in a remedial year, meaning year zero of your program, you are also not eligible. Year zero students have not yet completed a full year of the main degree program and do not qualify.

Minimum CGPA of 3.5 on a 5.0 Scale

You must have a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5 on a 5.0 grade system, or the equivalent in other grading systems used by some universities. This is an important threshold that many students underestimate. A 3.5 CGPA on a 5.0 scale is not a low bar. At most Nigerian universities, this places you solidly in the Second Class Upper division bracket. If your CGPA is below 3.5 at the time of application, you do not qualify and should not apply, as inaccurate academic information is grounds for immediate disqualification when discovered during verification.

Not a Beneficiary of Any Other Oil and Gas Industry Scholarship

You must not currently be a beneficiary of any other scholarship from an entity in the oil and gas industry, whether national or international. This means that if you are already receiving a scholarship from TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Agip, Chevron, or any other oil and gas company operating in Nigeria or internationally, you are not eligible to also receive the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship at the same time. This is a standard condition designed to ensure that limited scholarship resources are distributed as broadly as possible rather than concentrated on a small group of highly funded individuals.

Age

There is no age restriction for the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship. Unlike some scholarship programs that impose maximum age limits, this scholarship has no age requirement beyond the general university enrollment conditions. What matters is your academic level and performance, not how old you are.

First-Time Applicants Only

You cannot apply for the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship if you have applied in a previous year. The scholarship is open only to first-time applicants. If you applied in a previous academic year under the same scholarship cycle, you are not eligible to reapply. This is a hard disqualification condition that cannot be waived.

Female Candidates Strongly Encouraged

While the scholarship is open to all eligible Nigerian students regardless of gender, SNEPCo explicitly states in every cycle that female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. This reflects SNEPCo’s and Shell’s broader commitment to gender diversity and inclusion in STEM fields and the energy sector, and the company’s recognition that female students are underrepresented among scholarship applicants relative to their academic potential and numbers in Nigerian universities.

Required Documents for the SNEPCo Scholarship Application

Getting your documents ready before you start your application is one of the most important things you can do to avoid last-minute problems. Here is the full list of documents you need to upload when applying for the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship:

A recent passport-sized photograph of yourself in JPEG format, not older than six months and not more than 200 kilobytes in file size. The photo must have a white background. Your university admission letter confirming your enrollment in your current degree program. Your JAMB or UTME result slip. Your O’Level result, which can be from WAEC or NECO. Your university ID card showing that you are a currently enrolled student. Your academic result for year one of your university program. This can be an official transcript or statement of results issued by your university. This is the document that confirms your CGPA meets the minimum threshold of 3.5. A State of Origin certificate. This is a letter of identification from your state of origin that clearly indicates your local government of origin. This document is required for the geographic distribution element of the selection process and must be an official document issued by the relevant government authority. A completed and signed Government Official Declaration Form. This is a standardized form that you must download from the link provided on the scholarship portal, fill in correctly, sign, and upload as part of your application. Downloading and completing this form is a mandatory requirement that many applicants miss because they do not read the application instructions carefully enough.

All documents must be scanned clearly. Blurry, cut-off, or illegible scans are treated as missing documents and will cause your application to be incomplete. Take the time to scan each document properly in good lighting and review each scan carefully before uploading. The name used in your application must match the names on all your documents exactly and in the same order. If there is any discrepancy between names on different documents, you must upload a sworn affidavit confirming that both names refer to the same person before submitting your application.

The SNEPCo Scholarship Selection Process

Understanding the selection process is just as important as understanding the eligibility criteria because it helps you know what to expect after you submit your application and how to prepare for each stage. Here is a complete breakdown of how SNEPCo selects its scholarship recipients:

Stage 1: Initial Eligibility Screening

After the application portal closes, SNEPCo and its scholarship management partners conduct an initial screening of all submitted applications to check compliance with the eligibility criteria. Applications that do not meet the eligibility conditions, contain incomplete information, or include falsified documents are flagged and removed from the competition at this stage. Only candidates who fully satisfy all eligibility criteria proceed to the next stage. Falsified results lead to immediate disqualification and the applicant may face further consequences under applicable law.

Stage 2: Monitored Computer-Based Test (CBT)

All candidates who pass the initial eligibility screening are invited to participate in a monitored computer-based test. The CBT is a critical stage that determines who advances toward the scholarship award. The examination tests candidates across several domains including general aptitude, quantitative reasoning, verbal and written comprehension, and in some cycles, subject-specific knowledge relevant to the applicant’s field of study.

The CBT is monitored, meaning it is conducted under supervised conditions to ensure the integrity of the results. Candidates cannot take this test from home without supervision. Examination venue details, dates, and times are communicated exclusively by email to shortlisted candidates. This is why keeping your registered email address active and checking it regularly after submitting your application is absolutely critical. If you miss the CBT notification because you did not check your email, you will miss the examination entirely and your application will effectively lapse.

Stage 3: Geographic Distribution Shortlisting

After the CBT results are processed, only the top 10 candidates from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are shortlisted for the next stage. This geographic distribution mechanism is a deliberate design choice. It ensures that the scholarship benefits are spread equitably across Nigeria rather than being concentrated among students from a few states with larger or stronger university populations. This means that your competition is primarily against other applicants from your own state, not against all applicants nationwide. The top 10 performers from your state advance, regardless of how they compare to top performers from other states.

Stage 4: Academic Verification

The top 10 candidates from each state who are shortlisted after the CBT undergo academic verification. This is the stage where SNEPCo and its partners independently verify the authenticity and accuracy of all the academic documents you submitted in your application. This verification checks that your CGPA is genuinely what you claimed, that your O’Level results are authentic, that your JAMB result is valid, and that your state of origin certificate is legitimate.

Candidates with falsified results are disqualified at this stage and can face legal consequences for document fraud. This is why it cannot be emphasized strongly enough that you must only submit accurate and genuine documents. If you submitted a fabricated or altered academic transcript or result slip and it passes the initial screening, it will almost certainly be caught during the academic verification stage, with serious consequences for your academic and professional reputation.

Stage 5: Scholarship Award Notification

Only candidates who have successfully passed all four stages above are contacted to receive the scholarship award. Award notifications are sent by the scholarship management team through the contact details provided during registration. All scholars must maintain a minimum of 3.5 CGPA per session in a 5.0 grade system to sustain the award through subsequent academic years. If you win the scholarship and your CGPA drops below this floor in any subsequent session, your scholarship may be suspended.

How to Apply for the SNEPCo Scholarship Step by Step

The entire application process is conducted exclusively online through the official SCHOLASTICA scholarship management platform. SNEPCo does not accept applications by email, fax, post, or any other channel. Here is the step-by-step process:

Step one is to visit the official scholarship portal. This is the only official platform for the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship application. Be cautious of third-party websites that redirect you elsewhere. Always confirm that you are on the SCHOLASTICA platform before creating your account or submitting any documents.

Step two is to click on the Apply Now button on the relevant scholarship scheme page. For the 2025 scholarship, the direct link was candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo25. For future cycles, a new link will be published each year in the official announcement from Shell Nigeria and NNPC Limited. The safest way to find the correct link is to follow Shell Nigeria’s official social media accounts or visit NNPC Limited’s official website, where scholarship announcements are typically published.

Step three is to click Register Now to create a new account on the SCHOLASTICA platform. Use a valid personal email address and phone number that you can access reliably throughout the scholarship process. All examination invitations, shortlisting notifications, and award communications will be sent to this email and phone number, so they must remain active and accessible for the entire duration of the scholarship cycle.

Step four is to proceed to your email inbox to activate your newly created account. You will receive an activation email from the SCHOLASTICA platform. Click the activation link in that email before proceeding to the application form.

Step five is to complete your personal and educational information in the application form. Fill in every required field accurately. Enter your National Identification Number (NIN) where required. Ensure that the name you use in the application matches the names on all your supporting documents, in the same order. Any name discrepancy must be resolved with a sworn affidavit before submission.

Step six is to upload all required documents. Use the document list provided earlier in this article as your checklist. Upload each document in the correct field on the portal. After uploading each document, click the view button to confirm that the uploaded file is clear, complete, and accurately represents the original document. Do not skip this review step. A document that uploads successfully but displays as a blank page or a blurry image is effectively missing from your application.

Step seven is to download, fill, and upload the Government Official Declaration Form. This form is available through the scholarship portal and must be completed, signed, and uploaded as part of your application package. Forgetting this form is one of the most common reasons for incomplete applications.

Step eight is to submit your application before the deadline. For the 2025 cycle, the application deadline was August 15, 2025 on the Shell Nigeria Twitter announcement, with an extended deadline of August 29, 2025 noted on the SCHOLASTICA platform for some applicant groups. Always treat the earlier published deadline as the firm cutoff to be safe. Once you submit, you will receive a confirmation email and SMS to the contact details you provided during registration. Keep these confirmation messages as proof of your submission.

Important Warnings About Scholarship Scams

The NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship attracts a significant amount of fraudulent activity precisely because it is so well known and well regarded. Here are the things you must know to protect yourself:

SNEPCo does not charge any fee at any stage of the scholarship award cycle. If anyone asks you to pay money to apply, to secure your place, to expedite your application, or to guarantee your selection, that person is running a scam. Do not pay. SNEPCo has explicitly stated that it does not assign representatives or agents to assist applicants. Any person who approaches you claiming to be an official SNEPCo or NNPC scholarship agent is not legitimate. There are no authorized agents or intermediaries for this scholarship. All applications must be submitted directly through the official SCHOLASTICA portal. Applications submitted through any other channel will not be considered. SNEPCo only communicates with applicants through the SCHOLASTICA platform and through official email addresses. If you receive communication about the SNEPCo scholarship from a personal email address, a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, or a social media account that does not appear to be the verified official Shell Nigeria account, treat it as suspicious. Multiple applications from the same person attract a disqualification penalty from the scholarship board. Do not create multiple accounts or submit more than one application in the same cycle.

Tips to Improve Your SNEPCo Scholarship Application

Beyond meeting the eligibility criteria and submitting clean documents, here are some practical things you can do to give your application the best possible chance:

Apply as early as possible after the portal opens. The scholarship announcement typically goes live in the middle of the academic year, and early applicants have more time to fix any document upload issues before the deadline. Waiting until the final days before the deadline is a mistake that introduces unnecessary risk from technical portal problems. Get all your documents scanned and organized before the portal opens so you are ready to submit on day one or two of the application window.

Confirm your CGPA meets the 3.5 minimum before you apply. This sounds obvious but many students apply hoping that their CGPA is close enough to pass initial screening. It is not. The screening is based on verified academic records, and a CGPA of 3.4 or 3.49 does not qualify. If your CGPA is below 3.5 at the time of application, do not apply. Focus on your studies and aim to apply in the next cycle after improving your academic standing.

Keep your phone and email active throughout the selection period. After submitting your application, you may not hear anything for several weeks while screening and the CBT invitation process takes place. During this period, check your email at least once every two days and ensure your phone line is active and receiving messages. The CBT invitation is the only way you will know when and where to appear for the examination, and missing this notification means missing the entire next stage of the selection process.

When you sit the CBT, prepare for a general aptitude test rather than a subject-specific exam. There are no officially published past questions for this examination, and SNEPCo has indicated that question formats change from year to year. The best preparation is practicing general aptitude questions covering verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, data interpretation, and reading comprehension, which are the typical components of corporate-administered aptitude tests in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Final Thoughts

The NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship is one of the most consistently administered and genuinely impactful corporate scholarships available to Nigerian university students. The annual grant of 250,000 Naira, renewable through graduation, represents meaningful financial support for students who are serious about their studies and committed to maintaining the academic standards required to keep the award. Add to that the prestige of being associated with Shell Nigeria and NNPC Limited, two of the most significant organizations in Nigeria’s energy sector, and this is a scholarship that carries genuine career-level value beyond the financial grant itself.

The key things to remember when applying are straightforward. You must be a Nigerian citizen in your second year of full-time study at a NUC-accredited public university. You must have a minimum CGPA of 3.5. You must not be receiving another oil and gas industry scholarship. You must apply only through the official SCHOLASTICA portal. You must submit all required documents including the Government Official Declaration Form. You must never pay anyone for assistance with this scholarship. And you must keep your email and phone active so you do not miss the CBT invitation if you are shortlisted.

If you meet all the eligibility conditions and are ready to apply, visit the official SCHOLASTICA scholarship portal at candidate.scholastica.ng and search for the NNPC/SNEPCo scholarship scheme for the current academic year. Submit early, submit accurately, and give yourself every possible advantage in this competition. The scholarship is real, the money is real, and the opportunity is worth every bit of effort you put in.