Every year, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) engages a cohort of students from prominent Nigerian universities in an intensive career and leadership training. To this end, the selected NHEF Scholars are groomed towards long-term career development.
Wanna be an NHEF Scholar?
NHEF Scholars are expected to have demonstrated academic excellence and are well-rounded in both professional and extracurricular pursuits. This can be well articulated in your CV and other required documents.
But of course, the program is quite competitive. Yet, the Founder of SmartBukites was able to get in. He has also mentored quite a number of successful students, among which are two team members of SmartBukites. Go through the guide below to learn how you can secure your slot with a strong application like his!
What is NHEF?
The full meaning of NHEF is Nigeria Higher Education Foundation. Its primary goal is building the next generation of promising youth, the leaders of tomorrow. The foundation does this by empowering, training and grooming Nigerian youth with demonstrated potential. You could be one of them!
NHEF’s value-packed career-building programs include:
- Annual NHEF Essay Competition
- Graduate Mobility Program Series
- Annual NHEF Scholars’ Program
With support from a number of sponsors and partner firms, NHEF programs are usually fully-funded and exclusive!
Who is the NHEF Scholars’ Program for?
NHEF Scholars are expected to have demonstrated academic excellence and are well-rounded in both professional and extracurricular pursuits.
In 2023, about 100 NHEF scholars were selected from over a thousand applications from 6 partner Universities in Nigeria. The selected scholars were attached to firms in their industry of choice. The internship allowed them to work with potential employers to gain both work experience and employable skills. NHEF partners with key industries that provide Financial Services, HR and Operations Consulting, Law, Technology, and Engineering.
If you want to be an NHEF Scholar, you must possess promising academic excellence and meet the basic requirements. However, note that acceptance into the program is not based on CGPA. Rather, the ability to communicate one’s interests, passion and zeal for social impact in both documentation and words (during interview) gives you a high chance of getting selected.
Qualities Targeted by NHEF when Selecting Scholars
NHEF targets students who possess a strong commitment to leadership, community service, philanthropy, and making a lasting impact in their immediate communities. Irrespective of your course of study, as long as you’re a go-getter who has added value in one or two ways to the growth of mankind, you are one of the target candidates for this program!
NHEF Scholars’ Program Eligibility
NHEF Scholarship applicants are penultimate students (i.e. 300-level students studying a 4-year course or 400-level students studying a 5-year course) at specific NHEF Partner Universities. Ultimately, this scholarship is limited to NHEF partner universities only. If your institution doesn’t fall among those listed below, you needn’t apply.
NHEF Partner Universities
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU)
- Bayero University, Kano (BUK)
- University of Ibadan (UI)
- University of Lagos (UNILAG)
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
- University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)
- Kwara State University
How Competitive is the NHEF Scholars’ Program?
The NHEF Scholars’Program is a very rare opportunity with limited slots, making it one of the most competitive scholarship programs in Nigeria. Out of hundreds or even thousands of applicants, only 50 were selected in 2019.
NHEF Scholars’ Program Benefits
Seriously, the NHEF Scholars’ Program is worth all the hassle. Benefits of the NHEF scholarship include:
- World-class leadership and career training.
- Networking prospects with like-minded scholars.
- Internship and potential future employment opportunities with partner firms in Nigeria and abroad.
- Fully-funded program with 5-Star lodgings.
- Learning from the experience of trainers and colleagues.
- Opportunity to visit or re-visit Lagos in style.
- Continuous mentorship and support.
- Job alerts from NHEF.
Did you know…
The Founder of SmartBukites, Badiru Sulaimon, got selected as an NHEF Scholar along with 8 other BUK students in 2019. He went on to qualify for internship with Elektron Energy through the program!
Check Out: The 2019 Nigeria Higher Educational Foundation Scholarship program »
Getting Started: Building a Strong NHEF Application
Ready to apply for the 2024 NHEF Scholars’ Program? Let’s guide you towards a strong and outstanding application!
NHEF Scholarship Submission Procedure
All applications must be submitted via the NHEF Application Portal (https://portal.thenhef.org/). The deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. (WAT) on March 29, 2024.
To submit your application:
- Log on to the NHEF application portal: https://portal.thenhef.org/
- Register by creating an account on the portal. To do that, you have to enter your first and last name, email address, phone number and password.
- After registering, verify your email address by checking the inbox of the email address you registered with. Verify by clicking the link or copying the URL to your internet browser.
- Once your account has been validated, log in using the email address and password you created.
- Proceed to the application by clicking on the Scholars Program application tab from the dashboard.
- Complete all the bio-data information and the program essay questions on the application page.
- Next, candidates are required to submit some vital academic and career-related documents in PDF format.
- Review application responses and submit.
- Tip: It is a good idea for candidates to have the responses to the application questions already filled on a separate document, e.g., Word Document or Google Docs file. This will make it easier for them to copy and paste their responses into the application answer boxes.
- Note that the application cannot be saved! Hence, it must be filled and submitted at once. Therefore, get all responses and documents ready before commencing the application process.
Required Documents for NHEF Scholarship Application
As a Candidate, you should be ready to upload the following documents (in PDF format) for your NHEF Scholars’ Program application:
- A one-page Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- A one-page Cover Letter
- Most recent Statement of Result, All in PDF format.
Tips for an Outstanding NHEF Application
Due to the huge competition, your application needs to stand out for it to be considered. Below are some useful tips and guidelines for making a strong application:
- Manage your time well and stay organized.
- Explore all the possible options.
- Do Proper Research.
- Inform your referees early.
- Prepare an impressive essay.
- Highlight your achievements.
- Review and Refine
- When applying for scholarships, ensure you submit the best application you can.
- Your scholarship application should be complete, original and timely.
- Be patient, don’t lose hope and keep trying.
Maximize Your Chances of Securing Your Slot with a Polished CV and Cover Letter
It’s already established that the NHEF Scholars’ Program is highly competitive. Moreover, it’s not entirely based on grades. Therefore, your CV and Cover Letter, if structured well, will help guarantee your slot!
The information below, parts of which are sourced from the NHEF website, will help you structure your CV and Cover Letter appropriately.
How to Structure your CV for NHEF Scholars’ Program Application
Curriculum Vitae (CV) must possess basic content with a clear structure. It should present you in such a way that makes you stand out from the rest. Your CV should be concise and preferably in one page.
The goal of your CV is to communicate your qualifications for consideration. In many cases, your CV will determine whether you will proceed to the next stage of the process. The CV alone, will not guarantee you a slot in the program.
Already have a CV?
Perhaps you might be thinking, ‘But I already have a CV!’
Note that though you might already have a comprehensive CV, you may need to modify tit each time you’re applying for a job, internship or other training program. You should do this in order to:
- include recently achieved accomplishments.
- focus on the requirements of the job or program.
- emphasize skills or strengths relevant to the position.
- adhere to the page limit of the program.
- update academic and employment status.
For the NHEF Scholars’ Program Application, note that your CV is preferably limited to 1 page and it should reflect passion for leadership and career development as well as selfless service and social impact. Below is a comprehensive structure of a standard Curriculum Vitae.
1. Name in Capital Letters, Central on the Page in a Larger Font than the rest of the CV
For example:
Surname: Sholanke, First Name: Badiru, Other Name: Muhammad
2. Address, Email and Phone Number Underneath your Name
Make sure your email is professional if it is not already. Don’t use emails with pet usernames or nicknames. The best approach is [email protected]
3. Objective/Summary
What is your job objective for this CV (e.g., engineering, paralegal, law, finance intern)?
For example, Badiru is passionate about the equity of education across all levels in Nigeria. Ultimately, he intends to develop his management consultant skills to bridge gaps in the educational sector in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
4. Education and Qualifications (starting with the most recent)
- Include all your examined grades e.g. University grades for each year; for SSCE, UTME, A-levels (or equivalent) etc., In each case, state how many subjects you sat for and the grades you got.
- List the schools you attended (with dates, awards and honours) and classes you have completed that are relevant to your objective (you may want to briefly describe any special projects, papers, or presentations that were part of your coursework).
- Include your Grade Point Average (GPA or CGPA).
- Ensure dates are in reverse chronological order (most recent to least recent) under each section.
- State name of the organization, your title and dates of employment for each job you held on one line.
- Use bullet points to structure the content of each description (a maximum of two-three points).
- List the positions you have held (including paid, volunteer, and intern positions). Keep in mind, you do not need to list every job you have ever held; you only need to list the experiences that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. In the case of NHEF Scholarship Application, emphasize on positions that demonstrate your leadership and social impact activities. Arrange these in reverse chronological order and for each position, ask yourself: – What were my major accomplishments? – What were my main responsibilities? (Always use numbers to quantify). – What skills did I acquire, improve, and utilize? – What special knowledge and results did I gain? (Use the STAR method)
6. Activities (optional)
- Were you a member of any clubs?
- What about other on- or off-campus organizations (e.g., fraternities, student publications, charitable groups, etc.)?
- Were you a member of any athletic teams?
- Were you elected or appointed as an officer of a club organization?
- Describe your accomplishments in the above activities.
7. Skills and Interests (optional)
- What skills do you possess (e.g., language ability, computer skills, and other technical skills)?
- What do you like to do outside of work and school? Be specific.
How to Write an Exceptional Cover Letter
The cover letter is your opportunity to sell yourself by filling in the blanks from your CV. A well-written cover letter can pique the curiosity of the employer and motivate him/her to carefully read your CV. It is compulsory to include a Cover Letter when applying for the NHEF Scholars’ Program.
Tailor your letters to the specific organization and responsibilities of the position. Your cover letter should be 3-4 paragraphs long and should describe your interest in the position and your candidacy.
1. Your introduction should answer the following:
- For what position are you applying?
- How did you hear about it?
- What is/was your course and intended degree?
- What is/was your (projected) graduation date?
2. The Body
The body of the letter is where you need to describe your strengths (specific skills, personal attributes, experience) and relate them to the requirements of the position. You may emphasize some items from your CV. For example, use a previous experience or project you have previously worked on.
Use specific examples from your academic or work experience that address the employer’s stated requirements. Your letter should show that you are a “good fit” with the internship position.
3. The Final Paragraph:
Close by requesting an interview. Lastly, mention that you are looking forward to hearing a response.
That’s it! You are good to go.
You might want to check out How to Prepare for Your 1st and 2nd Interview Questions. Good luck with your NHEF application!
have more questions? Check out the NHEF Frequently Asked Questions page.
How to Know if Your Application has been Submitted Successfully?
To know if your NHEF application has been submitted successfully, note the following:
- Each applicant whose application has gone through will have the following message on their dashboard: “Scholars Program – Application Submitted on YY-MM-DD and the time it was submitted”
- A confirmation email stating that the application has been successfully submitted will be sent to the applicant’s email address.
- The Scholars Program application tab on the dashboard will no longer be accessible when clicked.
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