2025 Liberty Career Academy (LCA) Scholarship for Nigerians | How to Apply
The Liberty Career Academy offers financial support of up to ₦200,000 to students at Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and technical institutions, split across three separate award categories aimed at different kinds of applicants — orphaned or single-parent students, high academic achievers, and vocational trainees.
Don’t Miss: Top Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students
The 2025 cycle’s application window ran from October 2 to October 22, 2025, and has since closed. Based on last year’s identical pattern — the 2024 cycle also ran through October — the next round is realistically expected to open around October 2026, though LCA hasn’t confirmed an exact date yet. This guide covers all three award categories, who genuinely qualifies for each, and what to prepare ahead of the next opening.
Also, Check Out: Top Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships in Europe
About the Organisation Behind This Scholarship
Liberty Career Academy positions this scholarship as more than a one-time cash award — the programme is built around mentorship, alumni networking, and career guidance alongside the financial support itself, aimed at empowering youth across Nigeria and the wider continent who come from low-income backgrounds.
Also Read: How to Write a Personal Statement for Scholarship | Tips and Free Template
Rather than running a single undifferentiated award, LCA structured the programme into three distinct categories, each named or shaped around a specific kind of need: the Adeola Okungbaye Award honours vulnerable students who’ve faced genuine hardship, the Merit-Based Award rewards straightforward academic excellence and leadership, and the Gifted Hands Award is aimed specifically at vocational and technical trainees rather than conventional degree students — a group most Nigerian scholarship programmes overlook entirely.
LCA has also indicated the award can be renewed in subsequent academic years, subject to the recipient’s continued performance and the organisation’s available funding, which makes this less of a one-off grant and more of a potential multi-year relationship if you’re selected.
Liberty Career Academy (LCA) Scholarship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | Liberty Career Academy (LCA) Program |
| Host Country ⇒ | Nigeria |
| Study Level ⇒ | Undergraduate |
| Benefits ⇒ | ₦100,000 to ₦200,000, depending on award category, potentially renewable |
| Funded by ⇒ | Liberty Career Academy |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | Nigeria |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 2025 cycle closed October 22, 2025, 11:59 PM WAT. Based on the current annual pattern, expect the next cycle to open around October 2026 |
The Three Award Categories
- Adeola Okungbaye Award — ₦200,000. For orphans or students from single-parent households who can demonstrate genuine financial need. Requires a minimum CGPA of 3.5/5.0, or a JAMB score of 220 or above.
- Merit-Based Award — ₦150,000. For high-achieving students with strong academic performance and demonstrated leadership experience. Requires a higher bar than the Okungbaye Award: minimum CGPA of 3.7/5.0, or a JAMB score of 240 or above.
- Gifted Hands Award — ₦100,000. For young people enrolled in accredited technical or vocational institutions in Nigeria, aged 18 to 25, and currently unemployed. This category doesn’t require a CGPA or JAMB score — it’s assessed instead on creativity, skill, and leadership potential.
You can only apply to one category. Submitting applications across multiple categories results in automatic disqualification from all of them, so choose the one that genuinely fits your circumstances rather than applying broadly.
Who Can Apply — General Requirements
- You must be a Nigerian citizen, or a legal resident of another African country currently studying or living in Nigeria.
- You need to be enrolled in your 1st to 3rd year of a four-year degree programme, or 1st to 4th year of a five-year programme — this scholarship isn’t structured for final-year students, so check your year of study carefully against your specific programme length before applying.
- You need a valid government-issued ID, such as a NIN, voter’s card, or international passport. If you don’t have one yet, a guardian’s valid ID can be submitted instead.
- You must be able to provide verifiable proof for every claim in your application — academic results, financial circumstances, or leadership experience — since shortlisted candidates are required to produce supporting evidence during screening.
- Your personal statement, capped at 500 words, must be entirely your own original work. LCA states explicitly that AI-generated or plagiarised statements result in automatic disqualification, and given how many applications LCA likely receives, this is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a minor formality.
Documents to Prepare
- A valid government-issued ID, or a guardian’s ID if you don’t have one.
- Your admission letter or student ID card from an accredited institution.
- Your academic transcript or JAMB result, depending on which category you’re applying under.
- A well-written, original 500-word personal statement covering your background, academic goals, leadership experience, and how the scholarship would change your educational path.
- Proof of financial need, specifically if you’re applying under the Adeola Okungbaye Award.
- Any additional supporting documents that back up other claims made in your application — evidence of leadership roles or community involvement strengthens an application but isn’t universally required.
How to Apply — For the Next Cycle
- Decide which of the three categories genuinely fits your circumstances before the application window opens — applying to the wrong category, or attempting more than one, disqualifies you entirely.
- Confirm your year of study against your programme’s total length. Final-year students in either a four-year or five-year programme fall outside this scholarship’s eligibility, so check this before investing time in the rest of your application.
- Start drafting your personal statement well ahead of the deadline. Given LCA’s explicit stance on AI-generated content, write this yourself and revise it over multiple sittings rather than producing it in one pass close to the deadline.
- Gather your ID, transcript or JAMB result, and any supporting documents in advance, so you’re not scrambling once the roughly three-week application window opens.
- Watch the official LCA Scholarship Portal directly for the next cycle to open — based on the current pattern, expect this around October 2026, though LCA hasn’t confirmed the exact date.
- Submit your complete application before the stated deadline. Past cycles have closed at 11:59 PM WAT with no extensions granted, so don’t leave submission to the final hour.
- If shortlisted, be ready to provide verifiable evidence for the claims in your application and to attend an interview as part of final selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the LCA Scholarship still accepting applications?
No. The 2025 cycle closed on October 22, 2025. Based on last year’s identical October pattern, the next cycle is expected to open around October 2026, though this isn’t yet officially confirmed.
Can students outside Nigeria apply?
Partially. You don’t need to be a Nigerian citizen, but you do need to be a legal resident of another African country who’s currently studying or living in Nigeria. Applicants residing entirely outside Nigeria don’t qualify.
Can final-year students apply?
No. Eligibility is limited to students in years 1 through 3 of a four-year programme, or years 1 through 4 of a five-year programme — final-year students in either structure fall outside the eligibility window.
Can I apply for more than one award category to improve my chances?
No. LCA states explicitly that applying to multiple categories results in disqualification from all of them. Choose the single category that best matches your circumstances.
Does the Gifted Hands Award require a minimum CGPA like the other two?
No. The Gifted Hands Award is assessed on creativity, skill, and leadership potential rather than a CGPA or JAMB score, but it does require you to be aged 18 to 25 and currently unemployed while enrolled in an accredited technical or vocational institution.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official Liberty Career Academy sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the LCA Scholarship Portal before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Liberty Career Academy.
Official Application Portal
Join ScholarWaka Community
Get the latest scholarship updates and study abroad opportunities before anyone else.
