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MINDS Scholarship for Leadership Development 2026

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Want to study in another African country with a scholarship? The MINDS Scholarship Programme helps students grow as leaders while getting a postgraduate degree. This guide shows you how to apply and what you’ll need. Keep reading to see if this could be your chance.

MINDS Scholarship 2025: Study in Africa, Lead Africa

When I first stumbled on the MINDS Scholarship Programme, I almost skipped it. Another scholarship? So what? But something about it stuck. Maybe it was the idea of travelling across the continent, not just for books, but to meet people who see Africa the way you do – as home, full of promise.

Since 2017, MINDS (short for Mandela Institute for Development Studies) has been helping African students like you and me study in countries outside their own. Not Europe. Not America. Right here in Africa.

So, what’s the big deal? You don’t just get a degree. You live in a new country, eat food that surprises you, pick up strange slang, and return home thinking bigger.

Table of contents

What the scholarship covers

Let’s not lie, school can chop your money. But if you get this scholarship, some or all of your costs will be sorted. That includes:

It’s not small. Depending on what they give you, this can take a heavy load off.

Are you eligible?

Before you start dreaming of jollof in Ghana or injera in Ethiopia, here’s what they’re looking for:

The documents they want

This part is where many people fall off. Don’t wait till the deadline sneaks up. Start gathering these now:

All documents must be PDF. Each file, max 2MB. No excuses. And yes, you upload them all online.

So how do you apply?

Go to MINDS Scholarship login page. That’s where the journey starts.

For more gist, check the official scholarship programme page.

They didn’t put a hard deadline, but don’t dull. 

Last thoughts? Maybe a little push

This scholarship isn’t just for the best students. It’s for those who believe they can lead change. If you’re sitting in Ibadan dreaming of Kigali, or in Lusaka thinking about Dakar, maybe this is for you.

Honestly, you won’t find many chances like this. You’ll grow, laugh, maybe cry, and come back with something that’s hard to explain to people who never left home.

So, are you applying? Or are you just going to gist about it on WhatsApp?

Your move.


Olusegun Fapohunda

Meet The Author

This post is authored by , the founder and editor of MySchoolGist.

Boasting over a decade of expertise in the education sector, Olusegun offers current insights into educational trends, career opportunities, and the latest news.

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