What the Zayna Shaw Foundation Is Actually Offering
The Zayna Shaw Foundation's Women in STEM Scholarship is described as the foundation's flagship programme, now in Phase 1 of what appears to be a multi-phase rollout. It is built around two core components: financial support and structured mentorship.
The financial package covers full scholarship funding for selected recipients, providing the kind of financial relief that allows a student to focus entirely on her studies rather than on how to fund them. Beyond the money, every selected scholar is paired with a "Partner in Progress", a seasoned mentor from academia or industry who guides her from her current year of study all the way through to career entry. This mentorship component is not a passive arrangement. It is structured, ongoing, and designed to connect female engineering students with the professional networks and guidance they would not otherwise have easy access to.
The programme is narrowly and deliberately targeted: female students, Nigerian citizens, South-West state indigenes, enrolled in Chemical Engineering at a recognised Federal or State University in Nigeria, with a minimum CGPA of 4.0 on a 5.0 scale, and between second and fifth year. The specificity reflects a foundation that has thought carefully about which students face the greatest access gap, rather than building a broad, diffuse programme.
No application deadline has been published. Given that this is Phase 1, the window is likely to close without extended notice.
Is This Right for You?
Apply if you are:
A female Nigerian citizen who is an indigene of a South-West Nigerian state, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, or Ekiti
Currently enrolled in Chemical Engineering at a recognised Federal or State University in Nigeria
In your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th year of undergraduate study, having completed at least one full academic year
Holding a minimum CGPA of 4.0 on a 5.0 scale or its equivalent grading system
Able to provide valid proof of Nigerian citizenship and proof of South-West indigene status, both are required
Genuinely committed to writing a personal statement of up to 500 words that addresses your reasons for choosing engineering, how the scholarship supports your journey, and your vision as a future female engineer in Nigeria
Do not waste your time applying if:
You are not female
You are not an indigene of a South-West Nigerian state, being a resident or student in the South-West without South-West indigene status does not qualify you
Your field of study is any engineering discipline other than Chemical Engineering, even if closely related
Your CGPA is below 4.0 on a 5.0 scale
You are in 100 Level or have not yet completed at least one full academic year
Required Documents
Your application must include the following:
Completed application form
Valid student ID card
Official identification: National Identification Number (NIN) or international passport
Latest academic transcript or result slip showing your current CGPA
Reference letter from a University Professor
Personal statement of not more than 500 words addressing three specific points: why you chose Engineering, how this scholarship will support your academic and professional journey, and your vision as a future female engineer in Nigeria
All documents should be ready before you begin your application, since the form requires simultaneous submission of all materials.
Tips Nobody Tells You
1. Your personal statement has three specific prompts and each one deserves its own dedicated space within your 500 words.
The foundation has structured the personal statement around three explicit questions: why you chose Engineering, how the scholarship will support your journey, and your vision as a future female engineer in Nigeria. Many applicants write a flowing general statement that loosely touches on all three without giving each one proper weight. Divide your 500 words intentionally: allocate roughly 150 words to your choice of engineering (be specific about what drew you to Chemical Engineering in particular, not engineering generally), 150 to 175 words to how the scholarship supports your academic and professional goals, and the remaining words to your vision. A personal statement that clearly addresses each prompt is significantly easier for a selection committee to evaluate than one that meanders across all three without resolution.
2. Your reference letter needs to come from a University Professor who can speak to your academic performance in Chemical Engineering specifically.
The requirement for a professor's reference, rather than a general academic referee, signals that the foundation wants someone with direct knowledge of your performance in your degree programme. Approach a lecturer or professor from your Chemical Engineering department who has assessed your work, supervised your project, or can speak credibly to your academic capability and potential in the field. A generic character reference from someone who knows you socially but cannot speak to your engineering coursework will not carry the same weight as one from a faculty member who can describe your technical ability, class performance, and research potential firsthand.
3. Proof of South-West indigene status is a required document and takes time to obtain in Nigeria, start this process before you begin your application.
The foundation requires valid proof of indigene status alongside proof of citizenship. In Nigeria, obtaining a letter of indigeneship or certificate of origin from your local government area can involve visits to your LGA secretariat, processing time, and sometimes delays. Do not assume this document is already available or easily accessible. If you are studying far from your home state, arranging this documentation remotely adds another layer of complexity. Begin the process of obtaining your certificate of indigeneship from your South-West state LGA immediately, before you complete any other part of the application.
Why This Scholarship Is Worth Pursuing
Chemical Engineering in Nigeria feeds directly into the country's oil and gas, petrochemical, food processing, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing sectors. These are industries where female representation at the professional level remains consistently low, and where the pipeline problem starts at undergraduate level. The Zayna Shaw Foundation has identified this gap and built a programme specifically designed to keep talented female Chemical Engineering students financially stable and professionally connected during the most critical years of their degree.
The mentorship component is arguably as valuable as the financial award itself. Being paired with a "Partner in Progress" from academia or industry gives a 3rd or 4th year Chemical Engineering student access to guidance, networks, and career insight that most of her peers, male or female, do not have at that stage. The relationships built through structured mentorship programmes of this kind have a documented impact on career trajectory, confidence, and professional visibility that extends well beyond the funding period.
For female students from South-West Nigeria studying Chemical Engineering and maintaining a strong CGPA, this scholarship is one of the most specifically targeted and personally supportive funding opportunities currently available in Nigeria. There is no advertised deadline, which is not a reason to delay. Apply now.
How to Apply
Confirm your eligibility: female, Nigerian citizen, South-West indigene, Chemical Engineering, 2nd to 5th year, minimum CGPA 4.0/5.0
Obtain your certificate of indigeneship from your South-West LGA if you do not already have it
Request a reference letter from a University Professor in your department
Write your 500-word personal statement addressing all three required prompts
Gather all supporting documents: student ID, NIN or passport, academic transcript, professor's reference, and indigene proof
Complete and submit the application form with all required documents attached