Apply Now: Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship

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If you are a Nigerian student struggling with the cost of education, whether you are in secondary school, sitting for your WAEC or NECO exams, studying at a university, pursuing a postgraduate degree, or trying to complete a vocational training program, the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship might be exactly what you have been searching for.

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation is one of Nigeria’s most comprehensive scholarship-giving organizations, covering almost every rung of the educational ladder. Unlike many scholarship programs that only focus on university students, the foundation has created specific scholarship tracks for secondary school students, SSCE candidates, undergraduates, postgraduates, and even artisans and traders learning vocational skills. This makes it one of the most inclusive education support programs available to Nigerians today.

In this article, we are going to cover everything you need to know about the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship. From the history and mission of the foundation to detailed breakdowns of every scholarship category, award amounts, eligibility requirements, required documents, and a step-by-step guide to applying, this is your one-stop resource for everything related to this scholarship program.

About the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation is a Nigerian nonprofit organization that was established with one fundamental belief: education is the most important tool and investment for driving transformation and development in communities. The foundation believes that access to quality education is what empowers people with the skills and knowledge needed to escape poverty, and that it is what inspires young people with the ideas for leadership that the future requires.

Operating as a non-profit, the foundation works specifically to increase school enrollment and completion rates across Nigeria. Its programs are targeted at underserved communities and students from poor and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the very people who are most likely to drop out of school due to financial pressure rather than any lack of ability or drive.

The foundation runs its programs from its offices at the Third Floor of BASCO Plaza, located on Basorun/Idi-Ape Road in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. While its roots are in the southwest of the country, its scholarships are open to students from different states across Nigeria, depending on the specific program and eligibility criteria.

Beyond scholarships, the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation also runs outreach programs that supply educational materials to primary school pupils, awards grants to schools, vocational institutions, and nonprofits that share its educational vision, and funds capital projects targeted at improving school facilities in underserved and economically disadvantaged communities. The scholarship program is the most visible arm of the foundation’s work, but it operates as part of a much broader effort to fix the systemic barriers that prevent Nigerian children and young people from accessing quality education.

Why the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship Matters

Nigeria faces serious challenges when it comes to education. According to multiple reports, millions of Nigerian children are out of school, and many others who start their education do not finish it. Financial hardship is one of the leading reasons for school dropout across all educational levels, from secondary school students whose parents cannot afford school fees and WAEC examination registration costs, to university students who get admitted but cannot sustain themselves through their degree programs.

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation addresses this problem head-on by providing financial support at every stage of the educational journey. The foundation’s goal is not just to help a few exceptional students at the top of the academic ladder. It is to reduce dropout rates at every level by removing the financial barriers that force students out of school before they can complete their education.

This is why the foundation’s scholarship portfolio is so deliberately broad. A secondary school student in Oyo State with a gifted mind but a struggling family needs support just as much as a university student in Lagos with a first-class GPA. The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation has designed programs that recognize this reality and try to meet students at whatever stage they are in their educational journey.

All Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship Programs

The foundation offers five distinct scholarship categories. Here is a full breakdown of each one:

1. Secondary School Scholarship

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation secondary school scholarship program is designed to support economically disadvantaged students who are currently enrolled in Nigerian secondary schools. The scholarship is awarded annually and provides sessional financial support to help students cover a range of educational expenses.

Award amounts are structured based on the student’s level of secondary school. Junior secondary school (JSS) students receive a sessional prize of N50,000, while senior secondary school (SS) students receive N75,000. These funds can be used to cover tuition and school fees, books and supplies, and transportation costs.

To be eligible for the secondary school scholarship, applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled in a government-accredited secondary school in Nigeria.
• Demonstrate genuine financial need.
• Meet any additional criteria specified for the current application cycle.

Applications for the secondary school scholarship are processed annually, typically from June to August. The required documents include a completed application form and a signed letter of recommendation. The foundation provides a downloadable reference letter template on its website to make the process easier for applicants who may not know what format a recommendation letter should follow.

2. SSCE Scholarship (WAEC and NECO Examination Support)

The SSCE scholarship is one of the more unique programs in the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation’s portfolio because it targets a very specific and often overlooked financial pain point: the cost of registering for and sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

Every year, thousands of Nigerian secondary school students are unable to write their final examinations not because they have not studied or are not capable, but simply because their families cannot afford to pay for examination registration. This effectively locks students out of accessing higher education and formal employment, even after years of hard work in school. The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation started its SSCE scholarship program in 2018 specifically to address this barrier.

The inaugural cohort of the WAEC/NECO scholarship produced 10 winners drawn from communities in Oyo State and Osun State. Since then, the program has continued to support students annually.

To be eligible for the SSCE scholarship, applicants must:

• Be registered to write the WAEC or NECO examination in a government-accredited school.
• Have completed at least five years of secondary school education.
• Demonstrate genuine financial need.

The SSCE scholarship is a one-time financial assistance award rather than a recurring sessional grant. Applications are welcome and processed from July to November each year, covering students preparing for the examinations that take place from April to June/July of the following year.

3. Undergraduate Scholarship

The undergraduate scholarship is the most prominent and widely sought-after program in the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation’s scholarship portfolio. It offers financial support to economically disadvantaged students who are currently studying at universities in Nigeria.

Selected awardees receive a cash prize of N100,000 to cover a wide range of educational expenses. This includes tuition and university fees, room and board, books and academic supplies, and transportation costs. The award is designed to provide meaningful support that covers the real costs students face in keeping up with their university education.

Eligibility requirements for the undergraduate scholarship are clearly defined. To qualify, applicants must:

• Be a full-time undergraduate student in the second year of study (200 level) or above at a Nigerian university.
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.5 or its equivalent on whichever grading scale their institution uses.
• Not be a current beneficiary of any other scholarship or study grant.
• Demonstrate genuine financial need.

The 2025/2026 academic year undergraduate scholarship required all applications and supporting documents to be submitted on or before 30th May 2025. Applications are reviewed by the scholarship panel, supporting documents are verified independently, and shortlisted candidates are then invited for an interview before the final selection is made. This multi-stage process ensures that the scholarship goes to students who are both genuinely needy and genuinely qualified.

In addition to the main annual undergraduate scholarship, the foundation also runs Special Undergraduate Scholarships that are sponsored by private individuals and targeted at specific groups or regions. An example is the 2024 Undergraduate Scholarship for Law Students from Ekiti and Oyo States in Public Universities. These special scholarships are available throughout the year and are announced separately.

All undergraduate scholarship applications can be submitted online through the official application form on the foundation’s website, or by downloading the application form, completing it, and sending it by email to scholarships@woleogunyemifdn.com.

4. Postgraduate Scholarship

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation postgraduate scholarship program is designed for graduate students in Nigerian universities who combine academic excellence with a proven record of social impact and community engagement. This makes the postgraduate scholarship distinct from the undergraduate award in one important way: it is not just about financial need and academic performance. It also rewards students who are actively contributing to their communities in meaningful ways.

Like the undergraduate scholarship, the postgraduate scholarship offers a cash prize of N100,000 to selected awardees. This money can be applied toward tuition and university fees, room and board, books, research materials, and transportation expenses.

To be eligible for the postgraduate scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a full-time postgraduate student at any Nigerian university.
• Be involved in social impact activities or community organizing of some kind.
• Not be a current beneficiary of any other scholarship or study grant.
• Demonstrate genuine financial need.

The inclusion of the social impact criterion is an intentional design choice by the foundation. The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation is not just investing in students who do well academically in isolation. It is investing in future leaders who are already showing that they care about the people around them and are actively working to make things better for their communities. This reflects the foundation’s broader mission of inspiring young people with ideas for leadership that the future requires.

Required documents for the postgraduate scholarship include a completed application form, a signed letter of recommendation using the foundation’s downloadable reference form, and a certified copy of academic transcripts. Applications can be submitted online through the foundation’s website or by email.

5. Vocational Scholarship

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation vocational scholarship is one of the most socially thoughtful programs in the foundation’s portfolio, precisely because it acknowledges something that many scholarship programs ignore: not everyone’s path to economic freedom runs through a university degree.

The vocational scholarship was created to support artisans, traders, and skill-based workers to enroll for and complete technical or vocational education programs in Nigeria. The covered training areas are broad and include carpentry, bricklaying, hairdressing, plumbing, automobile mechanics, fashion design, electronics repair, and photography, among others.

Selected awardees under the vocational scholarship program receive between N50,000 and N75,000 to cover the cost of their vocational training. This is not a small amount in the context of the Nigerian vocational training market, where these funds can often cover a significant portion or even the full cost of an artisan apprenticeship or a short technical training course.

Eligibility for the vocational scholarship is straightforward. Applicants must be either currently enrolled in a vocational training program or wishing to enroll in one. The scholarship is open to anyone who meets this criterion and demonstrates a genuine need for financial support to access or complete vocational training.

Unlike the secondary school and undergraduate scholarships, which have specific annual application windows, the vocational scholarship accepts applications throughout the year. This makes it more accessible to applicants who may become aware of the program at any point during the year rather than having to wait for a specific window.

Required documents include a completed application form and a signed letter of recommendation using the foundation’s reference form template. Applications can be submitted by email to scholarships@woleogunyemifdn.com.

Full Scholarship Award Summary

Here is a quick reference summary of all Wole Ogunyemi Foundation scholarship award amounts across the different categories:

• Junior Secondary School Scholarship: N50,000 per session
• Senior Secondary School Scholarship: N75,000 per session
• SSCE Examination Scholarship (WAEC/NECO): One-time financial assistance covering examination registration costs
• Undergraduate Scholarship: N100,000 cash prize
• Postgraduate Scholarship: N100,000 cash prize
• Vocational Scholarship: Between N50,000 and N75,000

These awards are paid to cover tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and in the case of vocational students, the direct cost of their technical training.

Required Documents for All Scholarship Applications

While specific document requirements vary slightly between scholarship categories, here is a general list of what most applicants will need to prepare:

• Completed application form: Available online on the foundation’s website or as a downloadable PDF that can be completed and emailed in.
• Signed letter of recommendation: The foundation provides a downloadable reference letter template for each scholarship category. You should ask a teacher, lecturer, school administrator, or community leader who knows you well to complete and sign this form on your behalf.
• Certified copy of academic transcript: Required for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants. This should be your most recent academic transcript showing your current grades and CGPA.
• Copy of WAEC or NECO result: Required for undergraduate applicants as proof of secondary school completion.
• Recent passport photograph: Required as part of the standard application form for most categories.
• Personal biodata: Including your full name, date of birth, state of origin, local government area, gender, phone number, email address, and residential address.
• Academic history: Details of your current school enrollment including institution name, faculty, department, course of study, matriculation number, current level, and CGPA.

For postgraduate applicants specifically, the foundation also places emphasis on evidence of social impact involvement. If you have been involved in community service projects, nonprofit organizations, student government, or other forms of organized community work, you should highlight this clearly in your application and be prepared to discuss it at the interview stage.

For vocational applicants, the requirements are simpler: a completed application form and a signed letter of recommendation are the primary documents needed.

The Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Selection Process

Understanding how the foundation selects its scholarship recipients can help you prepare a stronger application. Here is how the process generally works:

Application Review

Once the application deadline passes, the foundation’s scholarship panel reviews all submitted applications. Every application goes through this review stage, and only complete applications with all required documents are considered. Incomplete applications are typically not forwarded for review. This means that getting your documents together before the deadline is not optional. Missing even one document can cost you the opportunity entirely.

Document Verification

After the initial review, the foundation independently verifies the supporting documents submitted by applicants. This verification step is taken very seriously, and the application form itself includes a declaration where applicants authorize the foundation to contact their schools, examination bodies, and personal references to verify any information provided. Any misrepresentation or omission of a material fact in the application will result in disqualification.

Interview Stage

Shortlisted candidates are invited for an interview before the final selection is made. The interview is the foundation’s opportunity to learn more about each candidate as a person, to verify their financial need, understand their academic journey and goals, and assess whether the scholarship will genuinely make a difference to their ability to continue their education. Being shortlisted for an interview is a strong sign that your application is competitive, but the interview itself is where the final decisions are made. Prepare carefully for it.

Final Selection and Notification

After interviews are completed, the scholarship panel makes its final selections. Successful applicants are notified, and the foundation may publish the names of beneficiaries on its website and other official publications. This public recognition is something applicants consent to by completing the declaration section of the application form.

How to Apply for the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship

The application process for the Wole Ogunyemi Foundation Scholarship is straightforward and fully accessible to anyone with internet access. Here is how to apply, step by step:

Step 1: Identify the Right Scholarship Category

Before you apply, make sure you are applying for the scholarship category that matches your current educational status. Secondary school students should apply for the secondary school scholarship, WAEC/NECO candidates should apply for the SSCE scholarship, university students should apply for the undergraduate scholarship, and so on. Each category has its own application form and its own eligibility requirements.