2015 ECOWAS Fellowship Programme For Masters & PhD

About Association of African Universities (AAU):

The Association of African Universities (AAU), whose headquarters is in Accra, Ghana, was founded in Rabat, Morocco on November 12, 1967, following recommendations made at an earlier conference organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Antananarivo, Madagascar in September 1962 for the formation of such an apex organization.

The Antananarivo recommendations were taken up by a preparatory Committee of the heads of African institutions of higher education, which met in Khartoum in September 1963 and drafted the founding constitution of the Association.

With an initial membership of 34, the Association now has over 340 members, cutting across the language and other divides.

The Association has provided a platform for research, reflection, consultation, debates, co-operation and collaboration on issues pertaining to higher education.

It has provided a range of services to its members and served African higher education in a variety of ways.

It has established and increased its role in the five sub-regions of Africa and is thus able, at reasonable notice, to assemble teams of experts in relevant fields from the sub-regions.

About the 2015 ECOWAS Fellowship Programme For Masters & PhD in Nigeria & Senegal:

Applications are currently ongoing for the 2015 ECOWAS Fellowship Programme For Masters & PhD in Nigeria & Senegal.

The Association of African Universities (AAU) is pleased to announce the 2015 maiden edition of the ECOWAS Fellowship Programme for Masters and PhD (EFP) under the sponsorship of the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS).

The Programme seeks to promote capacity building within the ECOWAS 15-member countries by providing full fellowships for training and education for nationals of ECOWAS member states in higher education institutions of ECOWAS.

Criteria for Eligibility:

The Programme is open to qualified nationals (including graduate students, researchers, lecturers, and staff) of ECOWAS member states who will be admitted for Masters or PhD degree programme at any one of the following three universities:

(a). University of Lagos, Nigeria
(b). University of Ibadan, Nigeria
(c). Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal

A good first degree (at least second class upper division or its equivalent) is required for Masters degree programme. An MPhil degree or its equivalent is required for PhD programme.

Priority will be given to Anglophone nationals who want admission into Francophone institutions, as well as to Francophone nationals who want admission into Anglophone institutions. Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Fields of Study:

Applications are invited from all disciplines linked to the fields of strategic importance to the West African region such as:

1.    Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);
2.    Earth and Life Sciences;
3.    Health including maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, etc.;
4.    Agriculture, Food Security and related disciplines
5.    History of Africa
6.    Information technology; and
7.    Gender issues.

Number of Scholarships:

Not Specified.

Eligible Countries/Target Groups:

All students from ECOWAS countries which includes Nigerians.

Value of Scholarship/Inclusions:

The ECOWAS Fellowship Programme (EFP) is a full scholarship intended to cater for each fellow’s costs of living, tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research. In this respect, ECOWAS will pay the tuition fees directly to the institutions and provide a monthly stipend of US$600 per Masters student and US$800 per PhD student to cover all other expenses for the duration of the degree programme.

Application Procedure/Instructions:

Qualified candidates will be admitted to one of the three institutions mentioned above. Please ensure that the institution that you have selected offers the course you have chosen.  All the three universities provide information about their degree programmes on their websites.

Each application must include the following:
1.    A photocopy of the degree and other certificates.
2.    Completed EFP Form. Download the EFP Application form
3.    Most recent curriculum vitae.

The 2015 Applications are accepted before October 15, 2015 from eligible students from ECOWAS member institutions.
Applications should be sent electronically to:
The Director, Directorate of Research & Academic Planning
Association of African Universities
Aviation Road Ext., Airport Residential Area,
P.O. Box 5744, Accra-North, GHANA
Email: [email protected]

Deadline for Application

October 15, 2015.

Official Scholarship Website:

For more information, visit:

http://www.aau.org/news/ecowas-fellowship-programme-masters-phd-2015-competition