UNILAG and Five Nigerian Universities Secure €1.8 Million EU Grant for Green and Digital Skills Development
UNILAG leads the way in educational advancement as it secures a €1.8 million grant from the European Union (EU) alongside five other Nigerian universities.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
In a groundbreaking move to boost education and skill development in Africa, the European Union (EU) has allocated a €1.8 million grant to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and five other prominent Nigerian universities. The funding, facilitated through the EU-funded Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme, aims to advance projects focusing on high-level green and digital skills.
The beneficiary institutions include UNILAG, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), University of Port-Harcourt, Ebonyi State University, and two others. This initiative forms part of the €27 million earmarked by the EU for 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects under the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa initiative.
Folosade Boriwo, the Director of Press & Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, confirmed the grant allocation. The agreement was signed by Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels, Belgium.
Key projects to benefit from this funding include the CB4EE and GREEN STEM initiatives at UNILAG, the CREATE-Green Africa project at the University of Port-Harcourt, the GENES II and ORPHAN projects at Ebonyi State University, and the HCE Solutions project involving the Federal University of Technology and UNN.
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The EU's commitment to these projects aims to enhance learning mobility opportunities for students, trainees, and staff across Africa. The focus on developing high-level green and digital skills underscores the importance of sustainable and technological advancements in education.
In addition to the grant announcement, EU Commissioner for International Partnership, Commissioner Urpilainen, launched the Africa-Europe Youth Academy at the Brussels event. This academy is a pivotal component of the Youth Action Plan in EU external relations, designed to foster leadership skills and networks between young individuals in Africa and Europe.
Nigeria is set to benefit further from the regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-Driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa. This initiative aligns vocational training programs with employment opportunities generated by Global Gateway investments, ensuring tangible benefits for the Nigerian workforce.
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This significant investment by the EU highlights a collaborative effort towards advancing education, fostering innovation, and empowering the next generation of African leaders in green and digital sectors. With such initiatives in place, Africa is poised for a transformative educational landscape, bridging the gap between academia and industry needs.
