The Afro-Tech Girls Undergraduate Scholarship pays a one-time ₦100,000 to female STEM undergraduates at public universities and polytechnics in Nigeria. In 2026 the scheme, called Project 100 for 100, had 100 places worth ₦10 million in total. Applications closed on 25 September 2026, and the deadline is 25 September 2027.
You qualify if you are a woman living in Nigeria, studying a science, technology, engineering or maths course at a federal or state university or polytechnic, with at least a 2:2 or its equivalent. The award has grown each year, from 20 women in 2024 to 50 in 2025 and 100 in 2026, so it is worth preparing for the next round now.
Afro-Tech Girls Undergraduate Scholarship at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Afro-Tech Girls, a Nigerian non-profit founded in 2015 to get more girls and young women into STEM |
| 2026 programme name | Project 100 for 100 |
| Number of awards (2026) | 100 |
| Amount | ₦100,000 each, paid once |
| What it can pay for | Tuition, academic materials, transport and other school expenses |
| Who it is for | Female STEM undergraduates at public tertiary institutions in Nigeria |
| Minimum grade | 2:2 (second class lower) or equivalent |
| Cost of applying | Free |
| Deadline | 25 September 2027 |
Afro-Tech Girls scholarship deadline and past rounds
Each round has had its own name, showing how many women it funds. Here is the record so far.
| Round | Places | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 2024: Project 100 for 20 | 20 | Not published |
| 2025: Project 100 for 50 | 50 | 20 October 2025 |
| 2026: Project 100 for 100 | 100 | 25 September 2026 (closed) |
| 2027 round | Set in the new call | 25 September 2027 |
(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)
The 2026 call was posted on 11 September and closed two weeks later. The 2025 call ran for about a week. That is very little time to collect documents, so the work you do before the call opens decides whether you make it.
Deadline
The 2026 Afro-Tech Girls scholarship closed on 25 September 2026. The deadline is 25 September 2027, and past windows lasted one to two weeks, so keep your documents and essay ready from August.
Eligibility for the Afro-Tech Girls Undergraduate Scholarship
- Gender: you are female.
- Residence: you live in Nigeria now.
- Institution: you are enrolled at a public tertiary institution in Nigeria, meaning a federal or state university or a polytechnic. Private universities are not covered.
- Course: your degree is in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering or mathematics).
- Grades: you hold a 2:2 or better, or the equivalent on your school’s scale.
Membership of the Afro-Tech Girls community is described in listings as an added advantage, not a requirement. Joining their community channels before the next call also means you see the announcement early.
Which courses count as STEM?
Afro-Tech Girls does not publish a course list. Courses in the sciences, computing, engineering and mathematics clearly fit. Health sciences such as Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Pharmacy are science based, but if your course is borderline, say in your essay how it uses science or technology.
Eligibility edge cases
The published rules are short, so a few situations come up often. Where the organiser has not said anything, I have marked it as such.
- 100 level students: the call asks for proof of a current grade. If you have no result yet, you have nothing to show for the 2:2 rule. Afro-Tech Girls has not said whether a first-semester result is enough, so I would apply only once you have at least one semester’s result.
- Polytechnic students on ND or HND: polytechnics are named in the call, so you fit. Your school grades on a different scale (distinction, upper credit, lower credit), which is why the call says “or equivalent”. A lower credit or better is the usual match for a 2:2.
- Colleges of education: the call mentions universities and polytechnics only. A college of education student studying a science subject is not clearly covered, and the organiser has not published a ruling.
- Final-year students: nothing in the call excludes you. If you graduate before the money is paid, though, you may struggle to show you are still enrolled.
- Part-time, sandwich and distance learners: not addressed. If your programme is run by a public university, I would apply and say clearly how you study.
- Non-Nigerians studying in Nigeria: the rule is about living in Nigeria, not nationality. A Cameroonian or Ghanaian woman at a Nigerian federal university appears to fit the wording, but the organiser’s form is final.
- Past winners: no rule on applying twice has been published.
Who should apply, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you are a woman at a federal or state university or polytechnic, in a STEM course, with a 2:2 or better, and ₦100,000 would make a real difference to this session. You have a stronger case if you can point to something you have built, taught or started in tech or science.
Skip it if you are at a private university, studying a non-STEM course such as Law, Accounting or Mass Communication, or if your CGPA is below a 2:2. You would be better served by one of the awards in the comparison table further down. If you need full tuition every year, this one-time grant will not solve that on its own; treat it as a top-up.
Documents for the Afro-Tech Girls scholarship
The 2026 listing on EduTimes Africa gives the same four items as the 2025 call. The organiser’s form is final.
| Document | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Proof of admission | Admission letter from your university or polytechnic |
| Proof of identity | NIN slip, voter’s card, international passport or driver’s licence |
| Proof of current grade | Your latest result slip or transcript showing your CGPA or class |
| Written application | 300 to 450 words on your background, why you need the scholarship and why you should be chosen |
If you got into school through JAMB and cannot find your admission letter, you can usually reprint it from your school portal after accepting on CAPS. Our JAMB CAPS guide covers the acceptance step.
Afro-Tech Girls has not published file format or size limits. Online forms of this kind usually take PDF or JPG uploads, so scan each document flat and in good light, check that your name and CGPA are readable on a phone screen, and keep each file small enough to upload on mobile data. Name the files plainly, for example “Admission letter Chioma Okafor.pdf”.
How to write the 300 to 450 word application
This short essay is the only place you can stand out from other 2:2-and-above STEM students. I would split it into three short paragraphs.
- Background: your course, level, school and one concrete detail about how you got there.
- Need: what you are short of this session and what ₦100,000 would pay for, in naira if you can (a laptop deposit, departmental dues, transport for the semester).
- Why you: what you have done in STEM outside class, such as a project, a coding course, tutoring younger girls, or a tech club, and what you want to do after graduation.
What the selectors are likely looking for
Afro-Tech Girls has not published a scoring rubric. Its own description of the scholarship fund talks about helping women finish their education and get tools such as laptops, power and data. The essay prompt asks three things: your background, your need, and why you. Read together, a strong essay shows a real financial gap, a clear plan for the money, and some evidence that you will stay in STEM after school.
Specific beats emotional. “My father is a retired teacher and my fees for this session are still outstanding” tells the reader more than three sentences about how hard life has been.
A sample opening
Here is how a first paragraph could read. Write your own, using your real details.
“I am a 300 level Computer Science student at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, with a CGPA of 3.62. I taught myself Python on a borrowed phone in my second year, and last semester I built a simple attendance app that two of my lecturers now use. I still do my assignments at a business centre because I do not own a laptop.”
That opening gives the course, level, grade and school in one line, shows initiative, and sets up the need without begging. The second paragraph would then say exactly what the ₦100,000 would buy. Count your words before you submit. Going under 300 or over 450 is an easy way to look careless.
How to apply for the Afro-Tech Girls scholarship, step by step
- Watch for the call: follow Afro-Tech Girls’ blog and social pages from August, since past calls opened in September and October.
- Prepare your files: scan your admission letter, ID and latest result, and save your essay as a document.
- Draft the essay offline: write it in a notes app or word processor, check the word count, then paste it in. Forms can time out and lose what you typed.
- Open the form: in 2026 the application was on this Canva-hosted page; the 2025 round used a Google Form. The link changes each year, so use the one in the new announcement.
- Fill in and upload: enter your details as they appear on your documents and attach every file.
- Check your email and phone number: these are how you will be contacted, so a typo can cost you the award.
- Submit early: do not wait for the last day of a one- or two-week window. Screenshot the confirmation screen.
Applying is free; never pay anyone. If you have questions, Afro-Tech Girls lists info@afrotechgirls.org and +234 901 536 0474 as its contacts.
Common mistakes that sink applications
- Waiting for the call to start preparing: with a one- or two-week window, students who start hunting for a result slip after the announcement often miss it.
- Uploading a blurry result: if the reader cannot see your CGPA, you have not proved the 2:2 rule.
- A generic essay: one written for every scholarship and pasted in reads that way. Mention STEM and what the ₦100,000 is for.
- Ignoring the word range: 200 or 700 words tells the reader you did not read the instructions.
- Name mismatches: if your ID, admission letter and form show different spellings, explain it or fix it before you apply.
- Using an old link: last year’s form may still be online. Apply only through the link in the current announcement.
What happens after you apply
Afro-Tech Girls has not published its selection stages, whether there is an interview, or a date for announcing winners. It has also not said whether the money goes to you or straight to your school. What you can do is keep an eye on the email you used, answer any follow-up request quickly, and have your bank details and student ID ready in case you are asked to confirm them. If you are not selected, keep your documents and essay; the next round is likely to ask for the same things.
Costs the ₦100,000 won’t cover
The award is paid once, so plan around what is left. In most cases you will still need to find money for:
- School fees and charges in the years after the award
- Hostel or off-campus rent for the full session
- The full price of a new laptop, if that is your main need
- SIWES or industrial training costs, field trips and final-year project expenses
- Feeding and data for the whole session
Stacking this award with a second scholarship is the realistic way to cover a full year. None of the published rules forbid holding another award.
Similar scholarships for women and STEM students
| Scholarship | Who it is for | Award | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afro-Tech Girls (this page) | Women in STEM at public universities and polytechnics, 2:2 or better | ₦100,000 once | 25 September 2027 |
| Julius Berger Scholarship | Women studying engineering and related courses | Yearly support (amount in our guide) | 16 September 2027 |
| ASMAF Scholarship | Indigent women in professional courses at public universities | Tuition, board and upkeep for up to six years | 15 September 2027 |
| SOHCAHTOA Foundation Scholarship | 200 level and above at public institutions, CGPA 3.5 | Up to ₦250,000 a year | 30 August 2027 |
If you are not in a public institution or not in STEM, try the Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship for undergraduates at federal and state universities, or the SpringUp Life Outreach Foundation scholarship if you pay your own fees.
FAQ
Is the Afro-Tech Girls scholarship 2026 still open?
No. The 2026 Project 100 for 100 round closed on 25 September 2026. The deadline is 25 September 2027.
Can private university students apply for the Afro-Tech Girls scholarship?
No. The award is for students at public institutions: federal or state universities and polytechnics in Nigeria.
What is the minimum grade for the Afro-Tech Girls scholarship?
You need a 2:2 (second class lower) or better, or its equivalent. You will upload your current result as proof.
Is the ₦100,000 paid every year?
No. It is a one-time payment. You can use it for tuition, materials, transport or other school costs.
Sources and updates
The 2026 programme name, 100 places, ₦100,000 amount, eligibility and 25 September 2026 deadline come from Afro-Tech Girls’ own announcement, “100 Girls. ₦100000 Each. One Big Step Forward.”, which also gives the founding year and contacts. Nigeria Education News confirmed the ₦10 million total. The document list and essay length come from EduTimes Africa’s report of the 2026 call (which gave the deadline as 24 September; I used the organiser’s date) and match the 2025 call reported by Edugist and ScholarshipAir. The 2024 round of ₦100,000 for 20 women and the fund’s stated aim of paying for laptops, power and data come from Afro-Tech Girls’ GlobalGiving project reports. Afro-Tech Girls has not published selection stages, payment method or file rules. Last checked 24 October 2026; I will update this page when the next call opens.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
