Nigeria, EU Place Premium On Co-Creation In Research, Innovation Partnership

Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador Gautier Mignot, has identified co-creation as the defining principle of EU-Nigeria collaboration in science and innovation.

Mignot described the partnership as one based on joint ownership rather than a simple transfer of knowledge.

He spoke at the Nigeria-EU Science and Innovation Day, held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Iganmu, Lagos, where policymakers, researchers, innovators, and private-sector actors from Nigeria and Europe convened to deepen cooperation and strengthen institutional partnerships.

“Science and innovation are central to inclusive and sustainable development, particularly in addressing challenges such as food security, digital connectivity and climate resilience,” he said.

Mignot said EU’s engagement in Nigeria is structured to reinforce national innovation systems, strengthen institutional capacity and support research-to-market pathways.

He said the ongoing collaboration under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy includes support for digital transformation initiatives, innovation ecosystem development and creative industry financing frameworks.

He also referenced cooperation aligned with national priorities to expand digital infrastructure and strengthen enabling environments for enterprise and innovation.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh (SAN), the ministry’s permanent secretary reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to internationalising research, deepening global partnerships and strengthening the national innovation system.

He stated that priority areas for collaboration include agricultural productivity and food security, digital transformation and emerging technologies, adding that implementation will be coordinated through an inter-ministerial framework chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He further noted that the federal government is advancing plans to strengthen research funding mechanisms and expand international research partnerships to accelerate commercialisation and support enterprise development.

The European Commission’s director for International Cooperation in Research and Innovation, Ms Nienke Buisman, said that Nigeria remains one of the leading African participants in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme.

She emphasised that Nigerian universities, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises are partnering with European counterparts across strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence applications, sustainable agriculture, fintech innovation and climate adaptation initiatives under the AU–EU Innovation Agenda.

Buisman described the ongoing discussions between Nigeria and the European Union as an opportunity to consolidate existing collaboration within a coherent, forward-looking framework, encouraging stakeholders to strengthen institutional linkages and scale up joint research efforts.