Grants and opportunities for your next phase

Aliko Dangote Foundation

Aliko Dangote Foundation Women Share Grant Initiative for the Dangote Refinery IPO 2026

A share subscription grant built around the Dangote Petroleum Refinery public offer. ADF pays for extra IPO shares in your name once you subscribe for the minimum yourself, with a fully funded option for verified ADF programme members and service widows. The offer closes 13 October 2026.

Eligibility: Be a woman aged 18 or older who resides in Nigeria or is a Nigerian citizen

Deadline

October 13, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

ADF funds 10 additional IPO shares worth ₦5,250 under the matching track, or the full 20 share subscription worth ₦10,500 under the unconditional track. Grant money is paid through the designated issuing house and never as cash to the beneficiary.

University of Rwanda with the Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Rwanda 2026/2027 Undergraduate Intake (Cohort 5)

A fully funded undergraduate scholarship at the University of Rwanda for Cohort 5 of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, open to citizens of any African country, refugees and displaced youth in Africa. Applications close 12 October 2026.

Eligibility: Be a citizen of Rwanda or any African country, a refugee, or a displaced young person in Africa

Deadline

October 12, 2026

Location

Rwanda

Funding or benefit

A full scholarship covering tuition, on campus accommodation, a laptop, learning materials, an annual return travel allowance and a monthly stipend across the academic year. No individual cash value is published.

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism 2027

The American Association for Cancer Research is inviting entries for the 2027 June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism, an annual award that honours professional journalists worldwide whose reporting helps the public understand cancer. It carries an unrestricted cash award of USD 5,000, has no entry fee, and closes on Monday, 7 December 2026.

Eligibility: Open to print, broadcast and online professional journalists whose work targets a general lay audience

Deadline

December 7, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

An unrestricted cash award of USD 5,000 plus a personalised commemorative award. Where a winning entry names co-contributors, they share the cash award and each receives a commemorative award. There are no entry or submission fees.

Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

University of Oxford Master of Public Policy (MPP) 2027/2028

The Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford is taking applications for the 2027/28 Master of Public Policy, a full-time taught master’s for future public leaders, with a wide range of scholarships for African applicants including a dedicated award for Nigerians working in the public service. Applications close 2 December 2026.

Eligibility: Open to applicants from all academic disciplines and professional backgrounds

Deadline

December 2, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

The Aig-Imoukhuede MPP Scholarship covers the full course fee (overseas fee £54,650) plus a set amount toward living expenses. A wide range of other University of Oxford and Blavatnik School scholarships are available with their own terms.

UNICEF Office of Innovation

UNICEF Femtech Ventures Second Annual Call 2026, up to US$100,000 plus twelve months of mentorship

The UNICEF Office of Innovation has opened the second annual Femtech Ventures call, offering selected companies up to US$100,000 in funding, twelve months of technical mentorship and access to UNICEF global network. Applications close on 4 November 2026. It is aimed at early and growth stage companies in emerging markets building open source solutions with frontier technologies.

Eligibility: Early and growth stage companies in emerging markets

Deadline

November 4, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

Up to US$100,000 in funding for selected companies, plus twelve months of technical mentorship and access to the UNICEF global network on pathways to scale.

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NOVA Bank

NOVA Bank Graduate Trainee Program NGTP 2027, one year intensive banking track

NOVA Bank is running its Graduate Trainee Program for 2027, a one year intensive that blends classroom training, hands on experience and mentorship from the bank top executives. Applications opened on 7 October 2026 and close on 15 October 2026. The bank requires a second class upper degree, completed NYSC and an age of no more than 27.

Eligibility: A Bachelor degree from a reputable university

Deadline

October 15, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

A one year intensive graduate trainee programme that the bank describes as offering a blend of classroom training, hands on experience and mentorship from NOVA's top executives. Trainees work on impactful projects, explore the bank's customer centric solutions and build a deep understanding of its digital services and strategy. The bank frames the programme as grooming the next generation of innovators for its banking operations. No salary or stipend figure is published on the page, so none is claimed here

Oilserv Limited

Oilserv Ingenious Graduate Trainee Programme 2027, two year engineering and commercial track

Oilserv Limited has opened its 2027 Ingenious Graduate Trainee Programme, a two year path that moves from a two week induction to a six month rotation across subsidiaries and then eighteen months in a department. Applications for the current round close on 10 October 2026. The company states that trainees who meet its performance standards earn a permanent position.

Eligibility: Graduate entry level applicants, with the role level requirements stated on the programme application route

Deadline

October 10, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

A two year graduate programme the company calls Ingenious. It opens with a two week immersive induction into company values, operations and standards, moves into a 6 month rotational placement across the subsidiaries, and then places trainees in their departments for 18 months of on the job learning, structured development programmes and high impact projects. Performance is tracked through the yearly Talent Review Meeting, and the company states that trainees who meet its performance standards earn a permanent position in the organisation

Deloitte Nigeria

Deloitte Nigeria Graduate Recruitment Refresh 2026, Tax and Legal Unit

Deloitte Nigeria has opened its 2026 graduate recruitment refresh for the Tax and Legal unit, with applications closing on 9 October 2026. The requisition is live on the firm careers portal and is aimed at graduates who have completed the National Youth Service Corps scheme. No salary is published on the posting.

Eligibility: Graduated from a recognised university or polytechnic with the minimum class stated on the requisition

Deadline

October 9, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

A place in the Deloitte 2026 graduate recruitment refresh for the Tax and Legal unit in Nigeria. The posting describes the role as a chance to build technical depth and progress a career in tax and legal services within the firm's client work. No salary is published on the requisition. The posting carries a firm rule that candidates who applied to the advert that closed on 10 April 2026 must not apply again, and that double or multiple applications lead to disqualification

Zenith Bank

Zenith Bank Zecathon 6.0 Startup Pitch Competition 2026

Growth stage African startups with a market ready product can pitch for a share of 90 million naira in prizes, direct investor access and a structured incubation programme beginning January 2027.

Eligibility: The startup must be growth stage with a scalable business model

Deadline

October 13, 2026

Location

Nigeria

Funding or benefit

90 million naira shared among the top five startups: 1st place 35 million, 2nd place 20 million, 3rd place 15 million, 4th and 5th place 10 million each

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World Cancer Research Fund International

INSPIRE Research Challenge 2026/2027, a Worldwide Cancer Research Grant for Early Career Investigators

The INSPIRE Research Challenge funds bold, innovative cancer research led by early career investigators anywhere in the world, including across Africa. Applications for the 2026/2027 cycle run through Proposal Central and close on 13 November 2026 at 5pm UK time.

Eligibility: Early career researchers who are two to seven years into their research career post PhD or equivalent

Deadline

November 13, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

WCRF does not publish a grant amount for this cycle. The INSPIRE guidelines document on the official page sets the budget rules for successful applications.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

We Forward PALOP, a Gulbenkian Grant for Health Science Partnerships in Portuguese Speaking Africa

The We Forward PALOP programme funds clinical projects that connect university health science teams with healthcare facilities in Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. Applications are open until 19 October 2026 at 23:59 Lisbon time.

Eligibility: Non profit, university level institutions specialising in health sciences

Deadline

October 19, 2026

Location

Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau

Funding or benefit

Gulbenkian publishes the budget rules in the call documents on the official page. The grant funds collaborative clinical projects between universities and health facilities in PALOP countries.

Yale University, Jackson School of Global Affairs

Yale World Fellows 2027

Yale's four month full-time residential leadership fellowship for practitioners from outside the United States, applications for 2027 closing 2 December 2026 at 14:00 Eastern Time.

Eligibility: Applicants must be citizens of a country other than the United States

Deadline

December 2, 2026

Location

Africa

Funding or benefit

The programme page does not print a stipend or award figure, so candidates should read the award terms in the application portal.