UNICAF Partners UNESCO REF on the Educational Financial Facility Scheme: 86 Per Cent Tuition Scholarship for Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral Study
UNESCO REF Media Centre | Education Financing
Nigerians admitted through the UNESCO REF EFFS pathway now contribute only 14 per cent of tuition for internationally accredited degrees, in a landmark partnership that complements the Federal Government’s NELFUND. Applications are now being received.
Applications are now being received. Read the official notice at the UNESCO REF Media Centre and apply through effs.unesco-ref.org.
ABUJA, Nigeria, July 2026. The Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO (UNESCO REF) and UNICAF have formalised a landmark strategic partnership under the UNESCO REF Educational Financial Facility Scheme (EFFS). Implemented under Category 2.15B2 of the UNESCO REF Strategic Intervention Programmes for Accelerated Learning and Productive Human Asset (SIP-ALPHA), the partnership offers qualifying Nigerians a blanket scholarship covering 86 per cent of tuition for internationally accredited undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral programmes. Students contribute the remaining 14 per cent.
Global alignmentAlignement mondialThe global commitments this story advances. Open to see how.
- SDG4
SDG 4, Quality Education (primary)
ProvisionTarget 4.3: equal access to affordable, quality tertiary education; Target 4.b: expand scholarships for developing countries
How the partnership responds86 per cent tuition scholarships for accredited degrees
- SDG8
SDG 8, Decent Work
ProvisionTarget 8.6: reduce youth not in employment, education or training
How the partnership respondsGraduate employability tracked as an outcome
- SDG10
SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities
ProvisionTarget 10.2: economic and social inclusion of all
How the partnership respondsRemoves the cost barrier to international credentials
- SDG5
SDG 5, Gender Equality
ProvisionEqual access to education and opportunity
How the partnership respondsOpen to all qualifying Nigerians, women and men alike
- SDG17
SDG 17, Partnerships
ProvisionTarget 17.17: public, private and civil society partnerships
How the partnership respondsA partnership between UNESCO REF and an international education provider
- UNESCO
UNESCO Education 2030 Framework for Action
ProvisionInclusive, equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all
How the partnership respondsFlexible online study alongside work and family life
- NG
Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024 (Nigeria)
ProvisionNational student loan framework through NELFUND
How the partnership respondsEFFS complements the national scheme
- AU
African Union Agenda 2063
ProvisionAspiration 6: development driven by African youth
How the partnership respondsExpands access to higher education for young Nigerians
The partnership opens a new door for Nigerians who aspire to internationally recognised qualifications but have been held back by cost. It brings together UNICAF’s established model of online higher education, delivered in partnership with accredited universities, and the governance framework of the EFFS, which UNESCO REF has built to make education financing structured, transparent and accountable. The result is a pathway to a globally recognised degree that can be pursued from Nigeria, alongside work and family responsibilities.
The scholarship at a glance
La bourse en bref
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scholarship | 86 per cent of tuition, applied as a blanket award |
| Student contribution | 14 per cent of tuition |
| Levels of study | Undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral (PhD) |
| Mode of study | Online, with internationally accredited institutions |
| Scope | Tuition only |
| Eligibility | Nigerians admitted through the UNESCO REF EFFS pathway |
| Framework | SIP-ALPHA Category 2.15B2 |
| Status | Applications now being received |
Why it matters
Les enjeux
Demand for international education among young Nigerians has never been greater. UNESCO data show that the number of Nigerian students abroad nearly doubled between 2020 and 2023, from 71,753 to about 142,000, across 21 major study destinations. For the great majority of families, however, the cost of tuition and relocation places such study out of reach.
The national stakes are considerable. Nigeria scored 0.36 on the World Bank’s Human Capital Index in 2020, meaning that a child born in Nigeria could expect to attain only about a third of their full productive potential by the age of 18. Structured, affordable access to higher education is among the most direct means of closing that gap.
Complementing the national effort
En complément de l’effort national
The partnership is designed to complement, and not to duplicate, the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024. By April 2026, NELFUND had disbursed N242.4 billion to more than 1.38 million students across 288 Nigerian tertiary institutions. The EFFS extends that national commitment to accredited international programmes, widening the choices available to Nigerian learners without drawing on public funds.
Voices of the partnership
Les voix du partenariat
“UNICAF will extend structured scholarship support to qualifying Nigerian students”
Dr Nicos Nicolaou, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, UNICAF
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, President of UNESCO REF, described the Educational Financial Facility Scheme as a “structured instrument designed to make globally recognised higher education more accessible to Nigerians,” established to offer a sustainable means of financing internationally accredited study in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
A beneficiary’s story
Le témoignage d’une bénéficiaire
The partnership is already changing lives. Grace Adetola, a registered nurse in Abuja, had for years been unable to afford postgraduate study. Through the scheme she is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health Management. The scholarship, she said, “has removed that structural barrier,” and she described the 86 per cent tuition support as life-changing.
Accountability and results
Redevabilité et résultats
The partnership will be judged by its outcomes. Success will be measured against four indicators: enrolment, programme completion, accreditation outcomes and graduate employability. UNESCO REF will report progress through the EFFS governance framework, so that students, families and partners can see what the scheme has achieved.
How to apply
Comment postuler
- Read the official notice at the UNESCO REF Media Centre.
- Visit effs.unesco-ref.org for programme information and eligibility.
- Apply for admission through the UNESCO REF EFFS pathway; only students admitted through this pathway qualify for the 86 per cent scholarship.
- Direct enquiries to The Lichfield, the official administrative contact point for the EFFS.
Read more at the Media Centre
En savoir plus au Centre des médias
The UNESCO REF Media Centre carries the official partnership notice and further coverage of the Educational Financial Facility Scheme. Visitors are warmly invited to read it in full:
- Official notice. UNICAF Partners UNESCO REF on the Educational Financial Facility Scheme.
- Special Report. Opening Borders: How UNESCO REF EFFS Plans to Send Nigerians to 250+ Universities Abroad.
- Podcast. The 86% Question: Inside the UNESCO REF and UNICAF Educational Financial Facility Scheme, on The UNESCO REF Podcast at the Media Centre.
Visit the UNESCO REF Media Centre to read the official notice and the latest updates on the scheme: unesco-ref.org/media/#effs-press-release.
ENDS
Notes to editorsNotes aux rédactions
About the EFFS. The Educational Financial Facility Scheme is the mechanism through which UNESCO REF works with investors, donors and partners to sponsor programmes and negotiate scholarships and fee reductions. Its education component complements the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund. It is administered by The Lichfield.
About UNICAF. UNICAF is an international provider of online higher education, offering degree programmes in partnership with accredited universities.
About UNESCO REF. The Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO (UNESCO REF) works to strengthen human and institutional capacity across Nigeria and Africa through education, research and professional development, in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Media enquiries. UNESCO REF Media Centre, [email protected]
SourcesSources
- UNICAF Partners UNESCO REF on the Educational Financial Facility Scheme, official notice, UNESCO REF Media Centre
- UNESCO REF, UNICAF offer Nigerians 86% tuition scholarship for global degree programmes, The Guardian Nigeria, 27 July 2026
- UNESCO REF, UNICAF partner to offer Nigerians 86% scholarship, complement NELFund, The Sun, 12 July 2026
- NELFUND loan disbursement hits N242.4bn with 1.38m beneficiaries, ThisDay, 20 April 2026
- Nigerian students abroad grew from 71,753 in 2020 to 142,000 in 2023, BusinessDay, 12 May 2026
- Where does Nigeria rank on human capital, Africa Check
- Opening Borders: How UNESCO REF EFFS Plans to Send Nigerians to 250+ Universities Abroad, UNESCO REF Special Reports