EU to invest over €45m on basic education in Northwest

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi disclosed this in her opening remarks at the 2023 Erasmus scholarship awardees pre-departure orientation event on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her: “In 2023-2027 we will be investing more than 45 million euros (in grants) to support basic education, especially in the NW, a region particularly affected by insecurity, where education systems have been totally disrupted.

We will pay particular attention to girls’ education which is an essential pre-condition to achieve women empowerment and gender equality. And more prosperity for all,” she emphasised.

On 2023 Erasmus plus scholarships awarded, Isopi explained that there are 135 Nigerian awardees as it makes Nigeria the top country in Africa and among the top 5 globally, together with Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Brazil.

She said the EU want Nigeria to be number one in the world and it will work for that, together with the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission and Nigerian Universities, to get there.

“Almost 800 Nigerians have benefited from the Erasmus Master Study programme since 2014. 500 in the past 4 years.

“The number of Nigerian awardees has been growing constantly and reached last year the record of over 200 awardees.

“These are EU-fully funded scholarships for post-graduate/Master study programmes that will run for 12-24 months.

“Erasmus Plus is unique. It is a unique multi-country and multi-cultural programme. Each of you will have the opportunity to study in at least three different universities in three different countries.

“Most of you will study in European Union Countries, but other countries such as Turkey, Serbia and the UK are also part of Erasmus.

“At the end of your study programme, you will receive an internationally recognised master’s degree, jointly awarded by a consortium of top-level universities, in the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programme.”

“These Master’s Degrees are high-level integrated study programmes that are the result of an international partnership between top-level higher education institutions.” She added.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo in his goodwill message, encouraged the awardees to actively contribute to the academic and social

conviction of their host institutions.

“Take advantage of the rich academic resources, explore different fields of study, and passionately pursue your passions.

“I would want you to remember that you are ambassadors of your respective institutions and our great nation, Nigeria. By exemplifying the values of resilience, cultural appreciation, and academic excellence, you have the opportunity to positively shape perceptions and foster strong ties between Nigeria and Europe.”