Nigerian female students in public universities or public secondary schools now have until May 22, 2026, to apply for the Florence Bamidele Makanjuola (FBM) Scholarship. The Opekete Foundation awards up to ₦650,000 to qualifying undergraduates and up to ₦350,000 to secondary school students, plus mentoring and work placements. For a domestic Nigerian scholarship, that is a serious offer.
Opekete Foundation FBM Scholarship: What It Is
The Opekete Foundation created this scholarship in memory of Mrs. Florence Bamidele Makanjuola, a teacher and nurse who was direct about the decline of teacher quality in Nigeria. Her family established the Florence Fund to carry that mission forward. The FBM Scholarship for Young Women (FBMSYW) is the fund’s flagship programme. The foundation’s position is clear: women who gain access to education, financial tools, and skills training can determine their own outcomes. The scholarship is how that position is funded.
What the Award Covers
The programme offers the following confirmed benefits:
- Undergraduate students: Up to ₦650,000 in financial support
- Secondary school students: Up to ₦350,000 in financial support
- Mentoring: Access to mentors. Frequency, format, and mentor identity.
- Community project participation: Awardees join foundation-run projects.
At many Nigerian public universities, full-year tuition runs between ₦150,000 and ₦400,000. The undergraduate award covers it and leaves room for books and living costs. No flights. No accommodation. No international component; this is a domestic award built for students already in the Nigerian system.
See Also: Google Opens 100,000 Free Career Certificates in Ghana
Eligibility for Nigerian Female STEM Students
Read every line of this section before you open the application form.
You must be:
- Female
- A Nigerian citizen
- Currently enrolled in, or admitted to, a public secondary school or public university. Private school students are explicitly excluded.
- Studying or intending to study Nursing or Teaching in a STEM field, Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics
Secondary school applicants — academic requirements:
- Minimum of 5 distinctions (A or B) in Junior WAEC. Confirm whether English and mathematics are compulsory subjects [VERIFY THIS].
University applicants’ academic requirements:
- Minimum of 5 distinctions (A1–B3) in WAEC or NECO, achieved in one sitting.
- Must meet the required JAMB cut-off mark for your institution and course
How shortlisting works: The foundation screens submissions through AI-detection software. Any response flagged as AI-generated is disqualified automatically. Shortlisted applicants may face a live or recorded interview. Double entries result in the immediate disqualification of both submissions, not just the duplicate.
Documents You Will Need
The official documents checklist is inside the FBMSYW Scholarship Details file linked within the Google Form. Open that file first. Based on the eligibility criteria, prepare the following:
- Proof of Nigerian citizenship: national ID, birth certificate, or international passport
- Current school ID or admission letter confirming enrolment at a public institution
- Junior WAEC result (secondary school applicants) or WAEC/NECO result (university applicants)
- JAMB result slip (university applicants)
- Completed application responses, written entirely in your own words
Upload all documents in PDF or Word format only.
A practical note on timing: The deadline is May 22, 2026. If you need certified copies from your institution’s registry, start that process now. Nigerian university registries are not fast. Budget at least one to two weeks for document collection before you sit down to write your application.
Key Dates
- Application deadline: May 22, 2026
- Applicants who are not shortlisted will not receive a response.
How to Apply for the FBM Scholarship 2026
- Open the official guidelines document first. The FBMSYW Scholarship Details file is linked inside the Google Form. Read it before filling in a single field. Ignoring those instructions is the fastest way to get screened out.
- Go to the application form.
- Write every response yourself. No AI tools. The foundation uses AI-detection software. A flagged submission is gone, with no appeals and no second chance.
- Upload documents in PDF or Word format as instructed.
- Submit once only. Double entries disqualify both submissions.
- Submit before May 22, 2026.
Mistakes that will end your application:
- AI-written responses, the screening will catch them.
- Applying from a private school, you will be screened out for eligibility.
- Uploading documents in unsupported formats
- Submitting more than once
The FBM Scholarship is specific, legitimate, and repeatable. It is not a one-off grant with a press release attached. The combination of financial support, mentoring, and work placement puts it above most Nigerian domestic scholarships that write a cheque and go quiet.
Who this suits: A Nigerian female student at a public university or public secondary school who is genuinely pursuing nursing or STEM teaching, not claiming it for a form, and who has the academic record to back it up.
Who should step back? If your grades do not honestly meet the minimum requirements, do not apply, and do not fabricate. The screening is structured, and the interview stage will expose gaps.
One thing that will make your application stand out: The foundation explicitly rejects AI content, which means the human voice in your responses carries real weight. Write from what you have actually done, not what you plan to do. If you have tutored a younger student in mathematics, completed a science project, or spent time in a clinic or classroom, name it precisely. Specific experience beats polished generalities every time.
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