By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels, signed an agreement for a transformative initiative, which secured a groundbreaking opportunity for six Nigerian Universities to access funding under the EU’s Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme.
In a statement by Folashade Boriowo Director of Press & Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, under the initiative, the European Union will spend €27 million, in the education and healthcare sectors in Africa.
Six Nigerian Universities are among Educational institutions that will benefit from the 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects funded by the EU with €27 million under the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa.
The EU has allocated €1.8 million to each of the six Projects under the Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme, providing a total of €27 million in funding. These Projects, to be facilitated by various Nigerian Universities, aim to enhance learning mobility opportunities for Students, Trainees, and Staff across the Continent, focusing on the development of 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. Each University’s participation underscores the collaborative effort towards advancing Education and skill development in Africa.
Commissioner Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnership, also launched a key initiative of the Youth Action Plan in EU external relations, the Africa-Europe Youth Academy, which will provide opportunities for formal and informal learning and exchanges to young people looking to improve their leadership skills and create networks between Africa and Europe.
Nigeria will also benefit from the regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa, launched recently, which will orient Country-level vocational training initiatives towards concrete employment opportunities created by Global Gateway investments.
