James Hope University, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

University profile

About James Hope University, Lagos, Lagos State

James Hope University (JHU) is a private postgraduate university in Lekki, Lagos, at Twin Lakes Estate, Chevron Junction, on the Lekki-Epe Expressway. It was founded by Mr. Jim Ovia, CFR, founder of Zenith Bank, through the Jim Ovia Foundation, a not-for-profit educational initiative, and was licensed by the Federal Government through the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2021. Its Business School, James Hope Business School (JHBS), launched in January 2024. The motto is Magnitudine suae spe et educatione, "Hope and Education for Greatness".

All programmes are at master's level and are grouped in the School of Management and Social Sciences. The MBA family comprises the Executive MBA, the Flexible Executive MBA, the Full-Time MBA, the MBA in Enterprise Risk Management and the MBA in Microfinance. The M.Sc. degrees are Economic Development and Policy Analysis, Finance/ACIB (Chartered Banker certification), FinTech and Analytics, and Innovation, Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship. Executive education short courses, including a High Impact Executive Programme, Executive Finance and Investment Leadership, Risk Management and Business Continuity, and Blockchain for Finance Professionals, are offered to senior managers and professionals.

The faculty draws on academics and industry practitioners in business, finance, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, law and marketing, and the university appoints Professors of Practice. The student body ranges from executive directors and business owners to recent graduates and start-up founders. The university uses a Board of Trustees and a Governing Council chaired by the Pro-Chancellor, with representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education and the NUC on Council.

The campus has smart classrooms, research labs and innovation hubs, a library with physical and digital collections, an Executive Education Center, a cafeteria, sports and recreation facilities and student residences. Campus tours are available by appointment, and a 360-degree virtual tour is available online.

JHU is open to recruiting international students from other parts of Africa and beyond. The university is approved by the NUC, and all five of its degree programmes hold full NUC accreditation: the MBA and M.Sc. Finance (October/November 2025 visit) and the three other M.Sc. programmes (May 2026 exercise, results received July 2026). The next stated goal is international accreditation.

University information

James Hope University Scholarship

The scholarship is a partial or full tuition waiver for high-achieving candidates undertaking a postgraduate programme, supported by the Jim Ovia Foundation. For 2026/2027 the scholarship application deadline was 11 September 2026.

How to apply

Apply for a postgraduate programme and submit the application first.
Download and read the Scholarship Conditions.
Complete the Scholarship Application Form and scan it with the supporting documents into a single file.
On the scholarship page of the application portal, enter the Applicant ID, upload the file and submit; the university notifies applicants of its decision.

Enquiries: [email protected] or 02015150401 / 02015150408 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday). Official page: jhu.edu.ng/admission-req.

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Postgraduate entry

Applicants need an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution. Admission is selective, and applicants who meet the requirements are invited to a selection interview.

MBA

At least 5 O-Level credit passes (WASC, SSCE/GCE, NECO or equivalent) including English and Mathematics.
A good first degree (second class lower division or better); postgraduate diploma holders need at least a first degree or HND at merit level and a credit-level pass in relevant areas.
Experience: Executive MBA applicants need work experience in a mid- to senior-manager role; professional MBA applicants need 3-5 years' work experience; no work experience is required for the Full-Time MBA.
Registered higher-degree students of other universities may transfer in if they meet all MBA entry conditions.

M.Sc.

A relevant degree from a recognised university at second class lower division or better, or a postgraduate diploma at upper credit level in a relevant area, provided matriculation requirements are met.
No prior work experience is required.

Documents

Completed online application and application fee; official transcripts from all previous institutions (unofficial copies may be submitted first, with official transcripts sent directly by the issuing institution before registration); a resume; a personal statement on career goals and interest in the programme; three professional or academic referees. A GMAT/NMAT, ESA or GRE score is optional for the MBA.

International applicants

Applicants whose first language is not English may be asked to attend an interview and/or submit official TOEFL/IELTS scores or equivalent evidence of English proficiency.

How to apply

Open the application portal at admission.jhu.edu.ng and choose New Applicant.
Select a programme, create an account and verify the email address.
Log in as a returning applicant, complete the form and upload documents as PDFs.
Pay the NGN 10,000 application fee and submit; confirmation and the decision are sent by email.

Dates and fees

For the 2026/2027 session the admission and scholarship application deadline was 11 September 2026 and the session began on 14 September 2026. The MBA programme pages give a September 2026 entry term with a 30 August 2026 deadline. After admission an acceptance fee of NGN 25,000 is payable. 2025/2026 tuition (four semesters, subject to annual increase): M.Sc. Economic Development and Policy Analysis NGN 2,430,000 (administrative fee NGN 180,000 plus NGN 607,500 per semester); M.Sc. Finance NGN 2,700,000 (NGN 200,000 plus NGN 675,000 per semester); M.Sc. Finance (ACIB) NGN 3,000,000 (NGN 500,000 plus NGN 750,000 per semester); M.Sc. Innovation, Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship and M.Sc. FinTech and Analytics NGN 3,780,000 each (NGN 280,000 plus NGN 945,000 per semester); Full-Time MBA NGN 5,400,000 (NGN 400,000 plus NGN 1,350,000 per semester); Executive MBA NGN 9,720,000 (NGN 720,000 plus NGN 2,430,000 per semester). Per-semester fees are due by the last business day of the first month of classes; a late fee of NGN 25,000 applies. Refunds on withdrawal: 100% by the end of the 2nd Friday of classes, 80% by the 4th Friday, 60% by the 5th Friday, 30% by the 6th Friday, none afterwards.

Lekki campus, Lagos (Twin Lakes Estate, Chevron Junction, Lekki-Epe Expressway): the university's single campus, where all postgraduate programmes and executive education are taught.
Facilities: smart classrooms and lecture halls, research labs and innovation hubs, library with physical and digital collections, Executive Education Center, cafeteria, sports and recreation facilities, student residences.

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James Hope University, Lagos, Lagos State