EU-ECOWAS Scholarships Programme on Sustainable Energy

February 1, 2023February 1, 2023 press_admin 0 Comments

Applications to the Universities in Nigeria, Senegal and Cape Verde is now OPEN, with a deadline for submission by Friday 10 February 2023 at 18.00 WAT.

Interested candidates are encouraged to follow the British Council, European Union and ECOWAS for information on when applications to their preferred institutions will be opened.

Candidates interested in submitting their applications to the institutions in Senegal and Cape Verde are encouraged to join a FAQ session online for more information about the scholarship in their preferred institution. Sessions will hold as follows:

Universidade de Cabo Verde: 27 January 2023.

Universite Cheikh Anta Diop: 3 February 2023.

What is the EU-ECOWAS Scholarship?

The EU-ECOWAS Scholarship programme provides scholarships for masters’ degrees in the sustainable energy sector at specialised universities in West Africa (Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo) for the benefit of eligible students from ECOWAS member states involved in the energy sector.

The programme aims to improve access to high-quality training in the sustainable energy sector in West Africa, enabling university graduates with a focus on young professionals (English, French and Portuguese speaking) in the ECOWAS member states to acquire the profile required to meet the growing demand for specialists at the highest level in the field of sustainable energy and to promote good governance of the sector in the region.

Selection criteria

The EU-ECOWAS Scholarship application form collects responses from applicants who are interested to complete a master’s programme in the energy sector from shortlisted universities. The scholarship selection process will analyse the information collected through the application form against the following criteria:

Be nationals of a member state of ECOWAS or Mauritania and being resident in ECOWAS’ region or Mauritania 
Have at least a bachelor’s degree with First Class or Second Class (Upper Division) 
Have undertaken studies at least at bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, energy and environment (including renewable energy and energy efficiency), law, economics, finance and planning as deemed by the entry requirements of the chosen university
Work experience in the energy sector in West Africa will be an added advantage 
Hold (at least) provisional admission into an approved course of study at the time of scholarship approval
Scholarship is open to working and non-working candidates. Working candidates are required to provide letter of release from their employer to complete the course for the duration of the programme
Commitment to publish at least 1 practice-oriented research before the end of the programme
Commitment to start internships within the course of study.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. If more candidates match the selection criteria than there are places available, they will be ranked according to the results of their last year of study and professional experience.

Shortlisted universities and available masters’ degree courses

You can ONLY apply for relevant courses in Higher Education Institution(s) which have been opened to receive applications:

Obafemi Awolowo University

M.Sc. Energy Planning and Management
M.Sc. Environmental Technology Management
M.Sc. Electrical Power Engineering
M.Sc. Energy Systems Science and Energy Systems Engineering

University of Nigeria Nsukka

M.Eng./M.Sc. Renewable and New Energy Systems
M.Eng./M.Sc. Power Engineering
M.Eng./M.Sc. Sustainable Energy Materials Engineering
M.Eng./M.Sc. Industrial Electronics and Power Devices
M.Eng./M.Sc. Energy Policy, Regulation and Management

Scholarship categories

The two types of scholarships available on the programme are:

Mobile Scholarships

Scholars are selected to complete their master’s program in higher education institutions located outside their country of residence. The scholarship will provide funding for tuition, subsistence, travel, research grant, insurance and visa.

Stationary Scholarships

Scholars are selected to complete their master’s program in higher education institutions located in their country of residence. The scholarship will take care of scholars’ tuition and research grant. A small stipend to contribute towards travel and subsistence will also be provided.

Scholarships will be awarded on a limited number of best qualifying people, to meet budget restrictions. Applicants are encouraged to consider factors such as language, proximity, family, and opportunities for internship in your decision making when selecting your most preferred scholarship category.

Scholarship requirements for validation

The application form will request all applicants to state their local language and any other languages they can speak fluently and may be asked to communicate with it during the interview and validation of documents.

Other information to be collected through the application form include applicant’s biodata, geographical location, education, work experience and commitments. Applicants selected will be required to complete a validation process by providing relevant documents to support the information given in the form. Inability to validate this information within the specified period will result in disqualification and replacement by candidates who are on the waiting list.

Therefore, all applicants are advised to prepare all relevant documents needed for validation immediately after their application has been submitted.

Successful applicants will be required to provide the following documents for validation:

Identification cards such as an international passport or a national identity card
Proof of residency in an ECOWAS country or Mauritania
A copy of the provisional admission letter from a shortlisted university
Academic transcripts or certificate obtained, and
Any other documents to validate information provided in the application form.

Navigating the Application Form

Applicants are advised to carefully read the information in the form description before proceeding to fill the form.
Applicants can change the language of the form (English, French or Portuguese) in the top right corner. Only one application form needs submitting. Do not submit several forms in different languages.
Applicants should ensure all information provided in the form are as accurate as possible.
Applicants will need to attempt answering all required questions to move forward with the application.
Applicants will be allowed to select their preferred scholarship category in the application form.
After selecting your preferred scholarship category, you will be asked to state why you deserve to be on the scholarship and justify your choice of scholarship category. Applicants are expected to provide this information within the number of words stated in the question. Failure to meet this requirement may nullify your response.
Your response above will be considered along with the criteria to place successful applicants into each category, and you may be required to validate the information provided if necessary.
Applicants who submit their application more than once on the application form will be disqualified. You are advised to read this guidance carefully before proceeding to fill the application form.
Applicants are advised to provide their most preferred means of contact with relevant information for feedback. You can also follow the British Council on any of its social media handles for update on the scholarship programme.
Applicants are encouraged to share the scholarship opportunity with their friends and colleagues in the electricity sub-sector.

For more information, please contact euecowas@britishcouncil.org