By Linus Aleke
The European Union has scored high, the standard of education in Nigeria, as it offered postgraduate scholarships to no fewer than 200 young Nigerians in top European universities, under its flagship educational programme, Erasmus+.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Samuela Isopi said this in a press conference in Abuja.
She disclosed that the number of Nigerians that benefited from this year’s
Erasmus+ postgraduate scholarship programme, represents a steep increase from last year.
The EU diplomat also disclosed that this year’s record places Nigeria second among countries with the highest number of students selected for the prestigious programme in 2022 – coming only after Pakistan.
She explained that each scholarship awardee will, on successful completion of the programme, receive a masters degree to be jointly awarded by a consortium of universities, in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programme – a key component of Erasmus+.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, she said, are high-level and integrated study programmes at master level, delivered by an international partnership of higher education institutions.
The studies she added 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.
Revealing that at least two of the countries where each student will study are EU Member States, Ms. Isopi said many of the scholarship awardees have already departed for Europe to commence their studies.
She added that the beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous, highly competitive process and from various academic disciplines.
Ms. Isopi also said, the scholarship programme will encourage legal migration to Europe.
According to her, “The number of Nigerians selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree Scholarships has quadrupled in the last four years, rising from 44 awardees in 2019; 93 in 2020; 133 in 2021 to the record number of over 200 awardees in 2022. From ninth position in 2020 and sixth in 2021, the country now has the second highest number of beneficiaries globally, leaving behind countries like Bangladesh, Brazil, India and Mexico in the top bracket of countries with most awardees globally. Over 730 Nigerians have benefitted from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree since 2004. The steep rise in the number of Nigerians benefiting from the programme in recent years reflects the premium the EU places on its partnership with the country. It also reaffirms the EU’s commitment to ramping up programmes and activities targeting Nigeria’s vibrant young people”.
Earlier in a statement, the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka, said, the Erasmus programme supports cooperation projects and policy development activities where organisations and higher education institutions can gain experience in international cooperation, strengthen their capacities, produce innovative approaches, exchange good practices and network.
Going down memory lane, the statement read: “The Erasmus programme was set up in 1987. Initially, it was aimed at creating exchanges of students between the European countries themselves. With the addition of the ‘Mundus’ it has been broadened in scope.
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“The flagship EU Erasmus+ programme represents one of the Europe’s most tangible achievements: uniting people and creating a European sense of belonging and solidarity, through life-changing learning experiences.
With the launch of a new Erasmus+ programme for the period 2021-2027, there is a further increase in the opportunities provided for mobility and cooperation with partner countries beyond Europe.
“The new Erasmus+ programme has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion. This is nearly double the funding compared to its predecessor programme (2014-2020). 70% of the budget will support mobility opportunities for students and staff of higher education institutions. 30% of the budget will be invested in cooperation projects and policy development activities where organisations and higher education institutions can gain experience in international cooperation, strengthen their capacities, produce innovative approaches, exchange good practices and network. The EU Delegation to Nigeria, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is working hard to increase the number of Nigerian Higher Education Institutions that participate in these programmes”.
