2026 NNPC-SNEPCo Scholarship Portal : Declaration Form, HOD Step & How to Apply (Nov 30 Deadline)

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo)—in partnership with their Production Sharing Contract (PSC) co-venturers TotalEnergies EP Nigeria, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (ExxonMobil), and Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE)—have officially opened the application portal for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship Award. Hosted and administered by Dragnet Solutions on the official Scholastica platform, the portal remains open until Monday, November 30, 2026.

Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and financially rewarding undergraduate oil-and-gas scholarships in Nigeria, the NNPC-SNEPCo National Merit Award provides an annual grant from a student’s 200-level year right through to graduation (provided the scholar maintains a minimum 3.50 CGPA). Unlike discipline-restricted schemes that only accept Petroleum Engineering or Geoscience majors, the NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship is open to eligible 200-level students across diverse NUC-accredited degree programmes in Nigerian public universities.

However, every year, nearly 40% of high-CGPA applicants are automatically disqualified before the Computer-Based Test (CBT) stage—not because of poor grades, but because they fail to complete the mandatory Government Official Information Declaration Form or forget to log back into Scholastica to upload their Head of Department (HOD)-signed verification profile. This comprehensive guide walks you through every eligibility rule, document specification, step-by-step application stage, and Dragnet CBT proctoring requirement so your application succeeds on the first try.

1. Executive Summary Table: 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo Scholarship Specifications

Before creating your account on the Scholastica portal, review the verified structural parameters of the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship:

2. What is the NNPC-SNEPCo Scholarship Worth? Annual Grant Value & Renewal Rules

The core objective of the NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship is to promote academic excellence and strengthen the employability of young Nigerians by removing financial anxiety throughout their university education. Here is how the financial award operates:

• Annual Cash Grant Paid Directly to Scholars: Successful awardees receive an annual financial grant (historically benchmarked between ₦200,000 and ₦250,000 per academic session across Shell/NNPC joint undergraduate schemes) paid directly into the student’s personal commercial bank account to cover tuition, accommodation, textbooks, and living upkeep.
• Multi-Year Coverage Until Graduation: Unlike one-off bursaries, the NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship is renewable every academic session from 200-Level right up to your final year (400-Level, 500-Level, or 600-Level depending on your NUC-approved course duration).
• Strict 3.50 CGPA Retention Rule: Renewal of the grant each session is not automatic. At the end of every academic year, Dragnet and SNEPCo verify each scholar’s official sessional transcript. You must maintain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.50 on a 5.00 scale (and remain free of any university disciplinary or cultism infractions) to receive the next year’s tranche.

3. Strict Eligibility Criteria: Who Qualifies (and Who Is Excluded)?

Dragnet’s automated screening engine filters out ineligible profiles immediately after the November 30 deadline. Verify that you satisfy all six mandatory requirements before applying:

1. Nigerian Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria holding a valid National Identification Number (NIN).
2. Full-Time Enrollment in an Accredited Public University: You must currently be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in a National Universities Commission (NUC)-accredited Federal or State University in Nigeria. Part-time, sandwich, distance-learning, polytechnic (ND/HND), college of education (NCE), and foreign university students are ineligible.
3. Strictly 200-Level (Second Year) Status: Applicants must currently be in their second year (200-Level) of study and possess complete, signed 100-Level (First Year) sessional academic results. Students in 100-Level (who do not yet have a full session’s CGPA) or 300-Level and above are not eligible.
4. Minimum 3.50 CGPA (or Equivalent): Your verified 100-Level result must show a minimum CGPA of 3.50 in a 5-grade system (or the direct Second Class Upper equivalent in universities operating a 4.0 or 7.0 grading scale, such as the University of Ibadan).
5. Zero Overlap With Other Oil & Gas Scholarships: You must not be a current beneficiary of any other scholarship award sponsored by an local or international oil and gas company (such as SPDC JV, NLNG, Chevron/NNPC, TotalEnergies, Seplat, Agbami, or ExxonMobil). Note: Federal Government student loans (NELFUND) do not count as an oil-and-gas corporate scholarship.
6. Exclusion of Employees’ Relatives: Children, wards, spouses, or direct dependents of employees of NNPC Limited, SNEPCo, Shell Companies in Nigeria, or the PSC co-venturers are barred from applying.

4. Mandatory Document Checklist & Dragnet File Size Specifications

The Scholastica portal enforces strict file-size and legibility rules. Every document you upload must be a clear colour scan (not a blurry phone snapshot taken in poor lighting) and must strictly be less than 200KB in JPEG/JPG format (unless PDF is explicitly permitted on the upload slot). Prepare the following 9 items in a dedicated folder on your laptop or phone before starting:

5. How to Download & Fill the Compulsory Government Official Declaration Form

Under global anti-bribery, compliance, and corporate governance regulations observed by Shell (SNEPCo) and NNPC Limited, every scholarship applicant must complete the Government Official Information Declaration Form.

Many students panic when they see this form, thinking that if their parent is a civil servant or secondary school teacher, they will be disqualified. That is completely false. Here is how the form works and how to fill it accurately:

• Where to Download It: On the official scheme homepage (candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo26), click the embedded link to download the blank Government Official Information Declaration Form.
• What It Asks: The form asks you to declare whether you are related to any high-ranking Government Official, Public Officer, or Politically Exposed Person (PEP) who exercises regulatory oversight over NNPC Ltd, SNEPCo, or the Nigerian petroleum sector.
• How to Fill It: Print the form neatly, fill in your full name, university, course of study, and phone number in block capital letters, tick the appropriate declaration boxes honestly, append your signature and date at the bottom, and scan it into a crisp JPEG/PDF file under 200KB for upload inside your Scholastica profile.

6. Step-by-Step Guide: Applying on candidate.scholastica.ng (Including Step 8 HOD Trap)

Follow this exact 9-step sequence on the Dragnet Scholastica portal before November 30, 2026 to ensure your application is 100% compliant:

Step 1: Open the Official Scheme Page & Register

Visit https://candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo26 and click on the “Register / Apply Now” button. If you have never used Dragnet’s Scholastica platform before, click “Create Account” using a valid personal email address and an active password.

Step 2: Activate Your Account via Email

Open your email inbox (and check your Spam/Promotions folder) for the automated activation message from Scholastica/Dragnet. Click the activation link to verify your email address and return to the scheme page.

Step 3: Complete Personal, NIN & Contact Information

Log into your dashboard, navigate to the Personal Information tab, and input your legal name (matching your NIN and university records), date of birth, state and LGA of origin, residential address, and active mobile phone number. Enter your 11-digit National Identification Number (NIN) accurately in the designated field.

Step 4: Enter Academic & University Details

Under the Educational Qualifications tab, input your university name, faculty, department, matriculation number, current level (200-Level), entry year, expected graduation year, JAMB score, O’Level grades, and your exact 100-Level CGPA.

Step 5: Upload Your Scanned Documents (<200KB Each)

Navigate to the Document Upload section and upload your passport photo, admission letter, UTME result, O’Level result, 100-Level result, LGA identification letter, Student ID card, and your signed Government Official Information Declaration Form. Verify by clicking “View” on each slot that every image opens clearly.

Step 6: Apply for the Scheme & Submit Initial Entry

Return to the NNPC-SNEPCo scheme page, click “Apply”, cross-check the preview summary of your data, and click Submit.

7. Why Students Get Disqualified: Completing the HOD Signature Re-Upload (Steps 7–9)

• Step 7 — Download Your Generated Scholastica Profile Sheet: Immediately after submitting your initial application online, log back into candidate.scholastica.ng, go to your dashboard profile, and download the system-generated PDF Verification Profile Sheet containing your photo, matriculation number, and declared 100-Level CGPA.
• Step 8 — Obtain Your Head of Department’s (HOD) Physical Signature & Stamp: Print the downloaded profile sheet and take it—along with your original 100-Level result—to your academic Head of Department (HOD). Have your HOD physically sign and place the official departmental stamp on the profile sheet to attest that you are a bona fide 200-level student with the stated CGPA.
• Step 9 — Scan and Re-Upload the Signed Profile Sheet: Scan the HOD-signed and stamped profile sheet (ensuring the file size is under 200KB) and log back into your Scholastica dashboard to upload it into the designated HOD Verification Upload slot before the portal closes on November 30, 2026.

8. Inside the Dragnet Online Proctored CBT Exam: Subjects, Format & Past Question Tips

Once the application window closes on November 30, 2026, all candidates whose documents and HOD verification sheets pass initial screening will receive an email and SMS invitation from Dragnet Solutions to sit for an Online Proctored Computer-Based Test (CBT).

Because the NNPC-SNEPCo aptitude test is engineered by Dragnet Solutions, it follows Dragnet’s standardized cognitive assessment blueprint rather than departmental textbook questions:

9. Fixing Dragnet CBT Webcam, Audio Detect & “Next Button Missing” Errors

During recent Dragnet proctored scholarship tests, dozens of candidates complained on student forums about technical glitches—such as the “Audio detect page hanging,” the webcam failing to initialize, or the “Next button not showing at the bottom of the screen.” Use these verified technical fixes on exam day so you don’t lose a single minute:

• Fix 1: Why the “Next” or “Submit” Button Is Hidden Off-Screen (Zoom Fix)
  On 13-inch and 14-inch Windows laptops with 125% display scaling, the bottom navigation bar of the Dragnet test interface often gets cut off. Simply press Ctrl + - (Minus) on your keyboard to zoom your browser out to 80% or 90%—the “Next” and “Submit” buttons will immediately appear clearly at the bottom.
• Fix 2: Resolving the “Audio Detect / Webcam Hanging” Error
  Before clicking your exam link, open Google Chrome (updated to the latest version), click the padlock/settings icon to the left of the URL bar, and set both Camera and Microphone permissions to “Allow.” Close background apps that hijack your webcam or mic (such as Zoom, WhatsApp Desktop, Skype, or OBS). If the audio check hangs, speak loudly or clap once near the microphone so the decibel meter crosses the green threshold.
• Fix 3: Avoid Using Mobile Phones or Safari for the Proctored Exam
  Dragnet’s AI proctoring engine requires a laptop or desktop computer equipped with a functional front webcam and microphone running Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Attempting the test on a mobile phone or tablet will fail the hardware compatibility check.

10. 7 Costly Application Mistakes That Trigger Automatic Disqualification

Before November 30, 2026, double-check your Scholastica profile against these seven common pitfalls that eliminate otherwise brilliant students:

1. Uploading Unofficial Portal Screenshots as Your 100-Level Result: A raw, unsigned screenshot from your student portal is not an official academic result. Print your 100-level result sheet and get your HOD, Dean, or Departmental Exam Officer to sign and stamp it before scanning.
2. Omitting First or Second Semester Results: A complete 100-Level result must show both 100-Level First Semester and 100-Level Second Semester grades alongside the cumulative CGPA. If both semesters are on separate sheets, merge them side-by-side or vertically into a single clear scan under 200KB.
3. Forgetting Step 8 (The HOD-Signed Scholastica Profile Sheet): As detailed in Section 7, failing to print, get your HOD’s stamp/signature on, and re-upload your Scholastica profile sheet invalidates your submission.
4. Creating Multiple Scholastica Accounts: Opening two accounts with different emails to apply twice triggers Dragnet’s NIN/Matriculation duplicate-detection filter, resulting in the cancellation of both profiles.
5. Entering a Phone Number on DND (Do-Not-Disturb): If your MTN, Airtel, Glo, or 9mobile line has DND active, you will miss Dragnet’s urgent SMS alerts for the CBT exam date. Text ALLOW to 2442 to lift DND.
6. Uploading Unreadable Over-Compressed Scans: While your files must be under 200KB, compressing an image down to 15KB makes the text blurry and illegible to human verifiers. Aim for crisp scans between 90KB and 185KB.
7. Waiting Until November 29 or 30 to Hunt for Your HOD: Heads of Department frequently travel for conferences or senate meetings. Do not wait until the final 48 hours of November to request your HOD’s signature on your result and profile sheet—get it signed this week!

11. Official Anti-Fraud Warning & Scholastica Helpdesk Contacts

12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo Scholarship

1. When is the closing date for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship?

The online application portal for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship closes on Monday, November 30, 2026. All document uploads, including the HOD-signed verification profile sheet, must be completed on or before this deadline.

2. What is the official portal link to apply for the 2026 NNPC-SNEPCo scholarship?

Eligible 200-level undergraduates must apply strictly through the official Dragnet Scholastica portal at https://candidate.scholastica.ng/schemes/NNPCLTDSNEPCo26.

3. Can 100-level, 300-level, private university, or polytechnic students apply?

No. The NNPC-SNEPCo National University Scholarship is strictly restricted to full-time 200-level (second year) undergraduate students studying in NUC-accredited Federal or State Universities in Nigeria who have a complete 100-level CGPA of at least 3.50 on a 5.00 scale.

4. Can I still apply if I am receiving the Federal Government NELFUND student loan?

Yes. The eligibility rule only prohibits students who are already beneficiaries of another oil and gas company scholarship (such as NLNG, Chevron, Seplat, SPDC, TotalEnergies, or Agbami). Receiving a repayable federal student loan via NELFUND does not disqualify you from winning the NNPC-SNEPCo merit grant.

5. What should I do if my university has not yet issued plastic Student ID cards to 200-level students?

If your university has not yet printed plastic ID cards for your set, you can upload your valid Faculty/Departmental ID card or a stamped library/school course registration printout bearing your passport photograph and matriculation number, endorsed by your department.

6. How will I know if I have been shortlisted for the Dragnet CBT exam?

Shortlisted candidates will receive an official invitation via their registered email address and SMS shortly after the November 30, 2026 application deadline, detailing the date, time window, and proctored login link for the online Computer-Based Test.