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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
European Union has offered postgraduate scholarships to 200 Nigerians under the Erasmus+ programme to undertake different programmes in some of the reputable universities in European Union (EU) countries.
The EU explained that this year’s awardees of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarships were selected by a consortium of top European universities, and they would have the opportunity to visit up to six countries across Europe during their period of stay, adding that the programme was aimed at connecting and uniting young people across the globe.
European Union’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Samuela Isopi, who spoke at a pre-departure orientation event for the benefitting students in Abuja, on Wednesday, disclosed that postgraduate degree programme will run for 12 or 24 months, and Nigerian awardees will go to 75 different universities in 20 different countries across Europe, including 18 European Union member states.
She added: “During that period, they would have the opportunity to visit up to six countries across Europe. Nigeria has been able to quadruple the number of students participating in the programme in last three years, thus moving from the sixth to the second position right behind Pakistan.
“Nigerian awardees were just 44 in 2019, then the number increased to 93 in 2020 to 133 last year to reach the record number of over 200 this year. This makes us very proud and you have to be very proud too.
“We know that it’s not enough because the potential of Nigeria is really very high and that’s why we want to work together with you and with the federal government for these numbers to keep growing in the next few years.”
Minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Director, Federal Scholarship Board, Mrs Asta Ndajiwo, admonished the awardees to explore all opportunities that would enable them succeed in their various careers.
He also charged them to be law abiding, and avoid unnecessary distractions in their various institutions so as to excel in their various field of study.
Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Chris Maiyaki, in his remarks, commended the EU for its tremendous support and contributions in generating, disseminating and expanding the frontiers of knowledge to develop Nigerian manpower.
Maiyaki disclosed that NUC and stakeholders recently embarked on some legacy projects including guidelines on transnational education to allow foreign investors and universities into the Nigerian university space through the establishment of four campuses in Nigeria.
“They can also undertake partnerships with existing universities under six competitive models, namely, the franchise, branch campus, the twinning and articulation and then the distance learning and/or acquisition and merger.
‘We are living in an age of knowledge where education or human capital holds the key to success and opportunities. Only education, particularly quality education produced in some of the best academic traditions can instigate rapid, social, economic, scientific and technological changes needed to guarantee our march to the future with pride and confidence.
“Education remains our most potent weapon for injecting hope in our youths, and in our ability to negotiate a better quality of life for our people. And here, I like to rephrase the deep sense of gratitude that we continue to feel as a university system to the EU and the European delegation to Nigeria, to Erasmus scholars.”
Meanwhile, an awardee, Osiro Abubakar, promised to implement lessons and experiences that he will gained through the programme to further improve Nigeria’s technological sector when he returns to Nigeria.
“My countries of mobility would be Finland in the first semester, second semester would be in France and my third semester will be in Japan. I applied for the Erasmus Mundus masters degree programs because it’s one of the most prestigious scholarships I know that covers virtually every aspect of our expenses and also allow us to study in different highly reputable universities.”
