The European Union (EU) intends to invest €10.8 million in six Nigerian universities through the Intra-Africa mobility scheme.
This scheme aims to improve learning mobility options for students, trainees, and staff throughout the continent, with a focus on the development of advanced green and digital skills.
Didi Walson-Jack, the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of education, signed an agreement at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels that allows six Nigerian universities to access funds through the EU’s Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme.
According to a statement issued by Folashade Boriowo, the director of press for the Ministry of Education, the European Union would invest €27 million in Africa’s education and healthcare sectors as part of the project.
Six Nigerian universities are among the educational institutions that will benefit from the 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects supported by the EU with €27 million through the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa programme.
The EU has awarded €1.8 million to each of the six initiatives under the Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme, for a total funding of €10.8 million.
The participating Nigerian universities are the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for the CB4EE and GREEN STEM projects, the University of Port-Harcourt for the CREATE-Green Africa project, Ebonyi State University for the GENES II and ORPHAN projects, and the Federal University of Technology and the University of Nigeria for the HCE Solutions project. Each university’s participation demonstrates a combined effort to advance education and skill development in Africa.
Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnership, also launched the Africa-Europe Youth Academy, a key Youth Action Plan initiative in EU external relations that will provide young people with opportunities for formal and informal learning and exchanges to improve their leadership skills and build networks between Africa and Europe.
Nigeria will also benefit from the recently launched regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-Driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa, which will focus country-level vocational training initiatives on concrete employment opportunities created by Global Gateway investments.