Six Nigerian universities have secured access to funding from the 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects, backed by the European Union with a substantial €27 million allocation under the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, signed an agreement for this transformative initiative at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels. This agreement has paved the way for the groundbreaking opportunity for the universities.
A statement signed by the Director of Press & PR at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, revealed that the European Union is set to invest €27 million in the education and healthcare sectors across Africa.
Each of the six projects under the Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme will benefit from an allocation of €1.8 million, collectively forming the €27 million funding.
The projects, to be spearheaded by various Nigerian universities, aim to enrich learning mobility opportunities for students, trainees, and staff across the continent, with a specific focus on nurturing high-level green and digital skills.
The participating Nigerian universities include the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for the CB4EE and GREEN STEM projects, the University of Port-Harcourt for the CREATE-Green Africa project, the 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.
In addition, the EU Commissioner for International Partnership, Jutta Urpilainen, launched the Africa-Europe Youth Academy as part of the Youth Action Plan in EU external relations. This academy will provide opportunities for formal and informal learning and exchanges, fostering leadership skills and creating networks between Africa and Europe.
Furthermore, Nigeria is set to benefit from the regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa.
This initiative will align country-level vocational training initiatives with concrete employment opportunities created by Global Gateway investments, offering promising prospects for the nation’s workforce.
