No fewer than 200 Nigerians are set to study in 20 countries in Europe under the Erasmus plus scholarship awarded by the European Union, the EU ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Samuela Isopi, disclosed in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Erasmus plus scholarship is an initiative of the European Union which aims to enhance quality higher education through scholarships and academic cooperation between the EU and the rest of the world.
While giving her opening address at the 2022 pre-departure orientation, Isopi said, “This year we have reached the record number of over 200 Erasmus Plus scholarships in Nigeria.
“Over 100 of them have joined us today. And they are in this whole others are following online. So let’s put our hands together for them. They deserve it. Also because they had been selected to a highly competitive process based on fuel married conducted worldwide by a consortium of top European universities.
“As you know, this is a masters degree program that will run for 12 or 24 months, Nigerian, our scholars will go to 75 different universities in 20 Different countries across Europe, including 18 European Union member states. During that period, they will have the opportunity to visit up to six countries across Europe.
“This year, Nigeria is the second country worldwide with the highest number of scholars just behind Pakistan. In three years since 2019, Nigeria has been able to quadruple the number of students participating in the program. Moving from the sixth to the second position right behind Pakistan”.
Speaking further, Isopi highlighted the benefits of education, adding that education adds unexplainable values to human and society.
“As a former US president used to say I think it was Franklin Roosevelt. We cannot always build our future for the youth, but we can build the youth, our youth for the future. And of course education plays a very important role.
“But education is much more than employability because education gives the values on the basis of which we actually work and live together. And this is what the Erasmus program is all about”.
While addressing the beneficiaries, Isopi encouraged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and the EU.
“You will be the ambassador of Nigeria across Europe over the next few years. And once you’re back, we hope we expect you to become true ambassadors of Europe in Nigeria.”
