EU grants €1.8 million to 6 Nigerian universities for digital skills development

The European Union has earmarked €1.8 million grants for the University of Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Port-Harcourt, Ebonyi State University, and two other Nigerian universities.

This funding, part of the EU-funded Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme, is designated for projects centered on advancing high-level green and digital skills.

Folosade Boriwo, the Director of Press & Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, disclosed the grant allocation.

The announcement came after Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, inked an agreement at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels, Belgium.

This agreement paves the way for EU funding to bolster educational initiatives at these six Nigerian universities.

According to the statement, these universities are among the select educational institutions benefiting from the EU’s commitment of €27 million to fund 15 Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme Projects under the flagship Youth Mobility for Africa initiative.

The specific projects include CB4EE and GREEN STEM at the University of Lagos, CREATE-Green Africa at the University of Port-Harcourt, GENES II and ORPHAN at Ebonyi State University, and HCE Solutions at the Federal University of Technology and the University of Nigeria.

“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,” the statement highlights.

At the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education in Brussels, EU Commissioner for International Partnership, Commissioner Urpilainen, unveiled the Africa-Europe Youth Academy. This academy, integral to the Youth Action Plan in EU external relations, aims to enrich leadership skills and foster networks between young people in Africa and Europe.

Nigeria is also poised to benefit from the regional Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-Driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa.

This initiative, recently launched, concentrates on aligning country-level vocational training programs with tangible employment opportunities generated by Global Gateway investments.