DAAD In-Country and In-Region Scholarship: A Funded Masters Degree Within Africa
DAAD In-Country and In-Region Scholarship: Masters Funding Without Leaving Africa
The DAAD In-Country and In-Region Scholarship pays for a masters degree at selected universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is run by DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, and it is open to graduates from Sub-Saharan Africa who already hold a first degree. The funding generally covers your tuition fees, a monthly scholarship payment, a study and research allowance, and the cost of publishing your thesis. Nigerians can apply as In-Region scholars, which means studying in another Sub-Saharan African country, and In-Region scholars also receive a travel allowance and health insurance. The deadline for this call is 12 November 2026.
Most scholarship coverage aimed at Nigerians points towards Europe or North America. This programme is different: the degree happens inside Africa, at centres DAAD has selected for strong, development-related teaching and research. If you want a funded masters and a career in teaching or research at an African university, this call deserves a serious look. Just note the date. With a 12 November deadline, this is a post to act on today, not next week.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline | 12 November 2026 |
| Level | Masters degree |
| Host countries in this call | Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi |
| Funding | Tuition fees, monthly scholarship, study and research allowance, thesis publishing costs; travel allowance and health insurance for In-Region scholars |
| Who can apply | Graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first degree |
| Provider | DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) |
What This Scholarship Is
DAAD runs the In-Country and In-Region programme to strengthen higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The idea is to train people who plan to build careers in teaching and research at higher education institutions in the region, in subjects that support sustainable development.
There are two routes, and the names explain them:
- In-Country means you study in your home country, or in the country where you hold a residence permit.
- In-Region means you study in a different Sub-Saharan African country, outside your home country.
In this call, no Nigerian host programme is open. That is not the end of the road for Nigerian applicants: you apply as an In-Region scholar to one of the open programmes in the eight host countries listed above. In fact, the In-Region route carries two extra benefits, the travel allowance and health insurance, because DAAD recognises that you are relocating.
One more thing worth knowing: DAAD’s page lists a Nigerian programme, the Master of Science in Physics at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), among calls that are not open yet and are expected to be published in spring 2027. If studying inside Nigeria matters more to you than starting now, that future call is one to watch.
Programmes Open in This Call
The open programmes are specific courses at specific institutions. You apply to a named programme, not to DAAD in general. The current list includes:
- Burkina Faso: Master of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering at 2iE
- Ghana: Master of Philosophy in Seed Science and Technology at WACCI, University of Ghana; Master of Philosophy in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases at WACCBIP, University of Ghana; Master of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics at the University for Development Studies
- Ethiopia: Master in Environmental Health at Jimma University
- Kenya: Master of Science in Plant Breeding at Chuka University; Master of Education in Research at Moi University
- Rwanda: Master of Science in Electrical Power Systems at the University of Rwanda
- Tanzania: Master of Science in Geomatics at Ardhi University
- Uganda: Master of Science in Climate Change and Disaster Management at Busitema University
- Malawi: Master of Science in Environmental Health at MUBAS; Master of Science in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science and Master of Science in Irrigation Engineering at LUANAR
Notice the pattern: agriculture, water, health, environment, energy and education. These are development-related fields, and your chosen course should fit that focus.
Eligibility
According to DAAD, you can apply if:
- You are a graduate or postgraduate from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first academic degree, and you are applying for a masters programme.
- You want to study either in your home country or residence-permit country (In-Country), or in another Sub-Saharan African country (In-Region). For Nigerians in this call, only the In-Region route is open.
- You are aiming at one of the selected, development-related masters programmes in the open list.
DAAD also states plainly that female applicants, refugees with recognised refugee status, and candidates from marginalised regions or groups are especially encouraged to apply. If you fall into one of those groups, do not talk yourself out of applying.
Programme-level requirements, such as the class of degree or subject background a particular course wants, are set in the call for applications for that programme. Check the call document for your chosen course before you assume you qualify.
What the Scholarship Covers
DAAD describes the value of the award as follows. Generally, scholarship holders receive:
- A monthly scholarship payment
- A study and research allowance
- Thesis publishing costs
- Tuition fees
In-Region scholarship holders additionally receive:
- A travel allowance
- Health insurance
Funding runs for the regular duration of the masters course, which is generally up to two years.
Here is the honest limitation: DAAD does not publish one standard set of figures for the whole programme. The actual amounts are set in the call for applications of the degree programme you choose, and they can differ between programmes. So if another website quotes you an exact monthly figure for this scholarship, treat it with suspicion. Open the call document for your programme and read the real numbers there. For a wider view of funded options while you decide, see our guide to fully funded scholarships for Africans.
How to Apply
The application procedure differs between regions and host institutions, and each programme’s call for applications carries its own instructions. Work through these steps:
- Choose your programme. Pick one course from the open list above that matches your first degree and your career plans. You are applying to that programme’s call, not making a general application to DAAD.
- Open the official programme page. Go to the DAAD scholarship database entry for the In-Country and In-Region Programme and follow the link to your chosen programme.
- Download and read the call for applications. The call is a PDF document. It contains the exact eligibility conditions for that course, the funding amounts, the documents required and the submission instructions.
- Check yourself against the call. Confirm your degree, subject background and status (In-Region, in your case) match what the call asks for.
- Prepare the documents the call lists. Gather them early; certificates and transcripts can take time to collect if you do not already have them.
- Submit exactly as the call instructs. Follow that programme’s stated procedure and portal directions. DAAD notes that its application portal works best on a desktop computer, with limited use on mobile devices, so do not leave the submission to your phone.
- Submit before the deadline. The programme deadline is 12 November 2026. Individual calls control their own process, so treat any earlier internal date in your call document as binding.
Selection is also handled per programme: DAAD states that the selection process differs between the individual degree programmes, with details in each call.
Documents to Prepare
There is no single document list for the whole programme, because each call sets its own requirements. That said, your application rests on your first degree, so expect the call for your programme to ask for evidence of your degree and your academic record, alongside whatever programme-specific items it lists.
The safe approach is simple: download the call document first, write out its document checklist, and prepare exactly those items, in the format it requests. If a document is not in the call, do not pad your application with it. If a required document will take time to obtain, start that process before anything else, because the deadline will not move.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the study is in Germany. It is not. DAAD is a German organisation, but this programme funds study inside Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Waiting for a Nigerian host. No Nigerian programme is open in this call. Nigerians apply as In-Region scholars now, or wait for future calls such as the FUNAAB programme expected in spring 2027.
- Applying to DAAD generally instead of to a programme. There is no general application. Each programme has its own call, requirements and instructions.
- Trusting figures from unofficial sites. The amounts live in the individual call documents. Read yours rather than relying on a blog summary.
- Skimming the call document. Eligibility details, funding amounts and submission steps are all in that PDF. Skipping it is how strong candidates get rejected on technicalities.
- Leaving submission to the last day. The deadline is 12 November 2026 and the portal is best used on a desktop. Submit early enough to recover from a failed upload or a power cut.
Key Takeaways
- This DAAD programme funds masters degrees at selected universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, not in Germany.
- Nigerians apply as In-Region scholars in this call, since no Nigerian host programme is open, and In-Region scholars get a travel allowance and health insurance on top of the standard funding.
- Tuition, a monthly payment, a study and research allowance and thesis publishing costs are generally covered for up to two years.
- Exact amounts and requirements are set in each programme’s call for applications, so read the call for your chosen course.
- The deadline is 12 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Nigerians apply for the DAAD In-Country and In-Region Scholarship? Yes. Applicants must come from Sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigeria qualifies. Because no Nigerian host programme is open in this call, a Nigerian applicant applies as an In-Region scholar to a programme in one of the eight open host countries.
Is this scholarship for study in Germany? No. Despite DAAD being a German organisation, this programme funds masters study at institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The open hosts in this call are in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.
How much money does the scholarship pay each month? DAAD does not state one figure for the whole programme. The amounts are set in the call for applications of the individual degree programme, so check the call document for the course you want. The package generally includes a monthly scholarship, a study and research allowance, thesis publishing costs and tuition fees.
What extra support do In-Region scholars get? On top of the standard package, In-Region scholarship holders receive a travel allowance and health insurance, reflecting the cost of relocating to another country in the region.
Do I need a masters degree already to apply? No. The programme is for people applying to study for a masters. You need a first academic degree. DAAD describes eligible applicants as graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first degree who want to pursue a masters.
When is the deadline, and how is selection done? The application deadline is 12 November 2026. Selection differs between programmes: each degree programme runs its own process, described in its call for applications.
Last updated: 7 November 2026
Apply through the official programme page here: DAAD In-Country and In-Region Scholarship database entry
