200 Young Nigerians to Benefit From EU’s Erasmus Mundus Postgraduate Scholarships

Over 200 postgraduate scholarships have been awarded to young Nigerian students from the European Union to pursue studies in the best European universities under the Erasmus+ program.

Compared to last year, this figure represents an increasing number of Nigerian students who received scholarships, Erudera.com reports.

Data shows that Nigeria ranks second immediately after Pakistan among the countries benefiting from this program due to the high number of students selected to become part of the prestigious program in 2022.

Students who have benefited from this scholarship, if they successfully complete the program, will receive a diploma that will be awarded jointly by a consortium of universities within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program.

The Delegation of the EU to the Federal Republic of Nigeria revealed that in the last four years, there had been a quadrupling in terms of the number of Nigerians selected for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarships. As the delegation explains, in 2019, the number increased from 44 winners to 93 in 2020, 133 in 2021, and a record number of over 200 was awarded this year.

Nigeria is now ranked as the country with the second largest number of beneficiaries globally, leaving behind many countries that once topped this group, including Bangladesh, Brazil, India, and Mexico. In addition, about 730 Nigerians have received the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree since 2004.

“The steep rise in the number of Nigerians benefiting from the programme in recent years reflects the premium the EU places on its partnership with the country,” EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Samuela Isopi, pointed out in this regard.

She added that the Erasmus+ Program is an example of great cooperation with Nigeria and reflects the EU’s commitment to expanding space and increasing opportunities for young Nigerians to realize their dreams. But, according to her, this also has to do with regular migration opportunities for ordinary Nigerians to travel abroad based on their capacity, merit, and skills in their respective fields.

“With the increased number of opportunities, I hope that in the coming years, even more Nigerian students and Higher Education Institutions can benefit from this programme,” Ambassador Isopi also stated.

The students who benefit from this scholarship will be able to go to 20 different countries in Europe. On the other hand, the minimum number of mobility circuits for each student is three, and some of the courses will take the beneficiaries to up to six different countries. In addition, the Erasmus Program enables the winners to interact and exchange ideas with other students from around the world.

Previously, the Delegation of the European Union to India and Bhutan announced that around 161 Indian students, including 88 women, have been awarded Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for the academic year 2022/23. As a result, India has been ranked first among 167 countries for the second consecutive year, with the highest number of students receiving prestigious scholarships.

In addition, this year, around 60 Nepalese students will also attend higher education in Europe with Erasmus+ scholarships.