The European Union (EU) has offered of postgraduate scholarships to 135 young Nigerians in top European universities, under its flagship educational programme, Erasmus+ to study various disciplines.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, made this known during a press briefing on Monday, stressing that the figure places Nigeria on the number one spot among beneficiaries of the EU postgraduate scholarships in Africa in the past five years, and among the top five globally.
According to a statement issued by the press unit of the EU Delegation, 109 Nigerian Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) awardees are in the initial batch of beneficiaries, while others are being processed to reach the 135 selected for the scholarship awards.
The EU bloc in recent years, has been ramping up support to academia through the EU’s key funding programmes: Erasmus+ in the higher education sector, and Horizon Europe for research and innovation.
Erasmus+ offers many opportunities apart from its flagship scholarship programmes: it supports mobility and short stays in Europe for researchers, students and staff, capacity-building of universities and TVET institutions through joint projects with sister European institutions, etc. Horizon Europe offers opportunities for Nigeria-based researchers and research institutions, in particular through the “Africa Initiative II”, which is addressed to African scientists.
According to the statement the EU Delegation to Nigeria will host a “Study in Europe Fair” in Nigeria’s two biggest cities of Lagos (October 28) and Kano (October 26) to enable prospective Nigerian students to explore the opportunities of higher education in Europe. The events will also serve as a platform to match-make Nigerian higher education institutions with potential EU partners, in collaboration with the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States in the country.
“The Study Fairs, which will be open to the public, will also provide opportunities for exchange of experiences and information, and for networking for Nigerian students, academics, parents and professionals who are actively interested in studying in Europe,” the EU said.
According to the EU, the 109 Nigerian EMJMD awardees are in the initial batch of beneficiaries, as announced by the organisers of the programme in Brussels. The number is likely to increase. Most awardees will start their Erasmus plus journey in September 2023.
Ahead of that, the EU Delegation will host a pre-departure orientation for the awardees on Wednesday, July 19 2023.
The postgraduate programmes will run for 12-24 months, and will see each beneficiary studying in universities in at least three different universities in as many countries during the duration of the programme. Each scholarship recipient will, on successful completion of the programme, receive a master degree to be jointly awarded by a consortium of universities, in the framework of the EMJMD programme – a key component of Erasmus+.
The students were selected from over 15,000 applications through a very competitive selection procedure coordinated by the participating consortia of universities. The applications are open to candidates from all parts of the world. The EMJMD programmes are high-level integrated study programmes, delivered by an international partnership of higher education institutions.
The EU’s support for education in Nigeria aligns to national objectives and focuses on equitable access to quality education and teacher training. The EU works with the governments of Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Katsina, Enugu and Plateau states.
The projects aim at strengthening the education system, increase the use of digital technology for teaching, learning and system management, and mainstream green skills and by investing EUR 45.4 million, in total during 2021-2027 in the education projects, the statement added.
