UK Opens 2026/27 Commonwealth Fellowship Applications for Nigerians – How to Apply

The United Kingdom has opened applications for the 2026/27 Commonwealth Fellowship Programme, offering fully funded opportunities for mid-career professionals and university academics from Commonwealth countries, including Nigeria. The UK in Nigeria announced the opening via its X handle on Thursday, urging eligible candidates to apply before the August 25, 2026 deadline. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission administers the programme under two distinct strands: Commonwealth Professional Fellowships and Commonwealth Academic Fellowships. These fellowships enable professionals and academics from eligible Commonwealth countries to spend time in the UK at host organisations working on programmes of professional or academic development that will have a developmental impact upon their return home.

The programme is divided into two categories, each designed for different career paths. Commonwealth Professional Fellowships target mid-career professionals seeking development at a UK host organisation in their sector. Professional Fellowships are expected to last between six weeks and three months, with start dates between mid-February and mid-March 2027. Applicants must have at least five years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience by the proposed start of the fellowship, and voluntary work experience does not count toward this minimum. Commonwealth Academic Fellowships are designed for university academic staff who hold a PhD and are employed at a university in a Commonwealth country outside the UK. These fellowships last three months and are scheduled to begin in January or February 2027, focusing on academic skills updates, knowledge exchange, and networking, with the goal of establishing future collaborations with UK universities.

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The CSC has provisionally planned approximately 40 fellowships for the 2026/27 cycle. Approximately 30 fellowships are available for citizens of Commonwealth countries eligible for Official Development Assistance, which includes Nigeria, while approximately 10 fellowships are available for citizens of Commonwealth countries not eligible for ODA. All fellowship proposals must align with one of the CSC’s six development themes. These themes include science and technology for development; improving population health, health systems and capacity; promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; strengthening peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; and access, inclusion and opportunity.

To be eligible for these fellowships, prospective Fellows must meet several general requirements. They must be citizens of, or have been granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person, and must be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country. They must not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK and must be in employment at the time of application at an organisation they will return to after completing the fellowship. Applicants must provide at least two references, one of which must be from their current employer, as applications without references will be considered ineligible. They must not have undertaken a Commonwealth Fellowship within the last five years at the time of taking up the award and must be available to undertake the fellowship from the prescribed start date. Nigeria is listed among the eligible Commonwealth countries.

Applicants for Professional Fellowships must have at least five years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the fellowship programme by the proposed start date, and voluntary work experience will not be counted toward this minimum. Applicants for Academic Fellowships must hold a PhD and be employed by a university in a Commonwealth country other than the UK.

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The CSC provides comprehensive funding for all fellowships, including approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK and reimbursement of the standard visa application fee. Fellows will receive a monthly stipend living allowance of £2,218 per month for organisations outside London or £2,753 per month for organisations in the London metropolitan area, based on 2025/26 levels. The package also includes an arrival allowance of up to £1,247.09, including an element for warm clothing. Additional funding is available for programmes from six weeks to two months, which can claim up to £1,000 for short courses, conferences, or travel to other UK organisations, while programmes of two months to three months can claim up to £2,000. If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

Applications opened at 9:00 AM BST on July 28, 2026, and will close at 4:00 PM BST on August 25, 2026. Interested applicants must complete the online application form through the CSC application portal. Required information and documents include educational qualifications, employment history, relevant work experience, publications and prizes where applicable, at least two references with one from the current employer, a development impact statement explaining how the fellowship relates to one of the CSC’s six development themes and how skills will be applied after returning home, a personal statement of up to 500 words summarising how personal background has encouraged the applicant to want to make an impact in their home country, a summary of voluntary and leadership experience of up to 500 words, and a scanned copy of passport or national identity card. The application is free, and no money is required. Nigerian applicants can contact the Federal Scholarship Board for further information via email at fsb@education.gov.ng or by phone at 09124516750 or 09082454557.

Fellows must adhere to several conditions, including returning to their home country and previous place of employment within five days of the award’s end, not undertaking paid employment during the award, residing in the UK throughout the award period, securing suitable UK entry clearance and meeting all immigration regulations, and not receiving other fellowships, awards, or bursaries covering the same costs concurrently. In line with the UK Bribery Act 2010, any applicant convicted of bribery will be banned from reapplying for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship for up to five years.

UK Opens 2026/27 Commonwealth Fellowship Applications for Nigerians – How to Apply

Oyinlola Denies Adeleke’s Car Gift Claim: “Osun Govt Gave Me the Car, Not You”

Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has dismissed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s claim that he received a vehicle from him before endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 election. Oyinlola said the claim was false, maintaining that the vehicle was provided by the Osun State Government as part of benefits legally approved for former governors. The former governor made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today while reacting to Adeleke’s assertion that he gave him a car, describing the governor’s claim as untrue and expressing disappointment at what he called a misrepresentation of facts. “That is far from the truth and it is a bad development that a governor will continue to tell lies,” Oyinlola said, emphasizing that the vehicle was not a personal gift but a statutory entitlement.

Explaining his position, Oyinlola said a law enacted by the Osun State House of Assembly provides certain entitlements for former governors, including the replacement of official vehicles every four years. He maintained that the vehicle in question was issued under that legal provision and should not be regarded as a personal gift from the governor. “It wasn’t Ademola that gave me vehicle. It was the Osun State Government; it is a law of the state enacted by the House of Assembly,” he said, clarifying that the vehicle was provided through the state’s official channels and not through the governor’s personal resources. This explanation underscores the former governor’s insistence that Adeleke’s claim misrepresents the nature of the transaction and the legal framework governing benefits for former governors in Osun State.

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Oyinlola further noted that having left office 16 years ago, he remained entitled to several vehicle replacements that accrued during that period. He explained that the law provides for the replacement of official vehicles allocated to former governors every four years, and having been out of office for 16 years, he argued that he was still entitled to three more vehicles under the provision. “I’ve been out of Osun State government since the last 16 years. If you aggregate it, it means the state is still having to give up three vehicles,” he stated, suggesting that the vehicle he received was just one of several to which he is legally entitled. The former governor also said the legislation covers other benefits available to former occupants of the office, including security arrangements and support staff, such as police personnel, cooks, and drivers, all of which are part of the statutory benefits package for former governors under the law.

The former governor rejected Adeleke’s suggestion that he had approached him because he could not afford or did not own a vehicle. “By the grace of God, I had started buying cars since I was 21. When I was going to the Government House, I went with my entire convoy. So, how will he paint it as if I went to beg? It is a very sad development. He should say it the way it is, and that it is a law, it is my entitlement and he still owes me three more vehicles,” he said, challenging the governor to present the facts accurately rather than misrepresenting the situation. Oyinlola’s response reflects his frustration with what he perceives as an attempt to diminish his standing by suggesting he was dependent on the governor’s goodwill for a vehicle.

The vehicle controversy has emerged amid a broader political disagreement between the two figures ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, in which Adeleke is seeking re-election. Oyinlola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently endorsed the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, a decision that has further strained his relationship with Adeleke. Explaining his decision, Oyinlola cited Adeleke’s decision to defect from the PDP to Accord without consultation and what he described as the concentration of major government projects in Adeleke’s hometown of Ede, among other concerns. He revealed that he had held discussions with Adeleke and his brother on four alternative political platforms amid the crisis within the PDP, with Oyinlola advocating for Accord. However, he said he was surprised to learn through social media that Adeleke had resigned from the PDP and joined Accord without further consultation, a move that Oyinlola described as dismissive and disrespectful. These political tensions have now spilled over into public view, with the vehicle claim becoming a point of contention between the two political figures.

Oyinlola Denies Adeleke’s Car Gift Claim: “Osun Govt Gave Me the Car, Not You”

Tinubu Rejects Blame Game, Vows to Revive Refineries with Profitability Focus

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has firmly rejected engaging in a blame game over Nigeria’s long-moribund state-owned refineries, instead vowing to take full responsibility for reviving them and ensuring they operate profitably rather than merely producing smoke and flames without economic value. The President gave this assurance on Thursday, August 13, 2026, while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by its National President, Mr. Sulaimon Oladiti, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting, which was also attended by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, provided a platform for the union to express its concerns about the state of the nation’s refineries and other pressing issues affecting the petroleum sector.

President Tinubu acknowledged the union’s concerns about the prolonged delays in reviving the refineries and declared that the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries would indeed return to operation. He cautioned that mere visible activity would not be considered success, stating emphatically that “the refineries that you mentioned are going to come back to work. We’re just building a very firm reset and structural reworking of the economics of it. Ordinary flame and smoke of a refinery doesn’t mean it’s working, until it’s profitable and yields the value for which it is built.” This statement underscores the President’s determination to move beyond the symbolic restarting of the refineries to ensuring their long-term commercial viability and contribution to the national economy.

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The President’s stance reflects a significant shift from merely attempting to restart the facilities to ensuring their long-term commercial viability. This comes after years of government spending on rehabilitation projects that failed to deliver sustained production. Under the previous administration, about $2.9 billion was approved for the rehabilitation of the refineries, yet the facilities barely produced refined products before being shut down again. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has since signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese companies for a potential Technical Equity Partnership to support the completion and operation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, signaling a new approach to addressing the challenges facing these critical national assets.

Acknowledging the history of failed interventions, Tinubu said his administration has accepted the assets and liabilities inherited from previous governments and would not waste time looking backward. He declared, “I’m not a man who will look back and blame everyone, because I’ve accepted the assets and liabilities of my predecessors. No matter what happened in the past years, it’s my responsibility now as President to fix it and make it work for the greatest common good of our population. I take responsibility for that, and I’m going to do it.” This statement reflects the President’s commitment to taking ownership of the challenges facing the nation’s refineries and his determination to find lasting solutions that will benefit all Nigerians.

The meeting also addressed other important issues affecting the petroleum sector and the broader economy. Tinubu urged truck owners who have converted their vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to pass on the cost savings to commuters rather than pocketing the full benefit themselves. He expressed concern that “whatever benefit that is coming from CNG is going into the pocket of truck owners, it’s not spreading as fast as I would like it, but it should spread.” The President also linked the government’s ability to fund major infrastructure projects to the economic reforms his administration has pursued since 2023, citing the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Kano, and Sokoto-Badagry road corridors among investments aimed at stimulating economic activities and improving public safety. Tinubu also promised to review constitutional issues surrounding the implementation of local government autonomy and appealed to stakeholders for understanding.

Earlier in the meeting, the NUPENG President, Salimon Oladiti, commended Tinubu’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy as courageous, saying it had freed resources for infrastructure development and other critical sectors. He also urged the President to sustain efforts to revive the country’s refineries, noting that functional facilities would strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and create more opportunities for Nigerian workers. Oladiti appealed for the rehabilitation of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) depots, recommending they be handed over to private investors to manage under an equity arrangement. He also raised concerns about the casualisation of workers in the upstream sector, describing it as an “unhealthy trend” that NUPENG and its sister union, PENGASSAN, had been trying to correct with little success, and urged the President to use his good offices to stop the practice.

The NUPENG leadership later decorated President Tinubu as the Grand Patron of the union, a symbolic gesture of their confidence in his leadership and commitment to the welfare of petroleum workers. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said NUPENG‘s recognition of the administration’s efforts had helped reduce friction between organised labour and the government, describing it as uncommon for a major labour union to publicly acknowledge government reforms. Tinubu also pledged greater involvement of NUPENG in implementing the Presidential Initiative on CNG, ensuring that the union plays a key role in the transition to cleaner energy sources.

Tinubu Rejects Blame Game, Vows to Revive Refineries with Profitability Focus