Nigeria has retained its position as Africa’s leading beneficiary of the European Union’s prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarship programme, with 89 students securing fully funded scholarships for postgraduate studies across Europe this year.
The latest feat also saw 163 Nigerians admitted into the highly competitive master’s programme, reaffirming the country’s dominance on the continent and placing it among the top five beneficiary countries globally.
European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation organised for the scholarship recipients ahead of their departure to Europe.
According to him, Nigeria repeated its 2024 achievement as Africa’s highest-performing country under the programme, joining Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the United States among the world’s leading beneficiaries.
He said: “This year we have about 163 Nigerian students admitted into these master’s programmes. This places Nigeria again, like in 2024, as the top country in Africa and among the top five globally,” Mignot said.
He added that 89 of the admitted students secured the highly coveted Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarships, an increase from the 81 beneficiaries recorded in 2025.
While noting that “We have 89 scholarship awardees this year, up from 81 in 2025,” he added that Nigeria was approaching the landmark of 1,000 Erasmus Mundus scholarship beneficiaries since the country joined the programme in 2014.
The ambassador said the EU would continue working with the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Nigerian universities to further improve the country’s global standing.
“We want Nigeria to get higher in the world ranking, to begin with in the top three. We will work for that together with the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission and Nigerian universities, and I’m sure we’ll get there.”
Mignot described Erasmus as the European Union’s flagship education programme that has transformed the lives of thousands of young people worldwide through academic exchange and international collaboration.
He said the initiative also demonstrates the EU’s commitment to creating legal migration pathways and expanding educational opportunities for talented Nigerian youths.
“It demonstrates the readiness of the EU to offer regular migration opportunities for young Nigerians to travel and study in Europe, based on their merit, capacity and abilities. It is indeed the concrete commitment of the EU to creating opportunities for Nigerian youth,” he said.
Urging the beneficiaries to serve as worthy representatives of Nigeria, the ambassador reminded them that the scholarship came with enormous responsibility.
“You will be the ambassadors of Nigeria across Europe. And once you are back, we expect you to become true ambassadors of Europe in Nigeria,” he added.
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu applauded the European Union for its sustained investment in Nigeria’s
human capital development.
Represented by the Director of Students at the commission, Dr. Chinelo Nwosu, he charged the scholars to maximise the opportunity by acquiring knowledge and skills that would contribute to national development upon their return.
“Go to school, come back and continue to develop Nigeria. Be good ambassadors of Nigeria wherever you are. Work hard, stay focused, keep out of trouble and remember where you are coming from.”
Also speaking, Director of the Department of Scholarship Awards at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Liman K.A.A., who represented the Permanent Secretary, described the orientation as a celebration of excellence and the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the European Union.
She said the Erasmus programme had transformed the lives of thousands of Nigerian youths through investments in education, research and innovation.
“Your conduct, character and academic performance will shape perceptions of Nigeria and inspire future generations of scholars. Be diligent in your studies, respectful of the different cultures you will encounter, and open to new ideas and perspectives,” she advised.
One of this year’s beneficiaries, Oluchi Yulis Myron, who would study cultural management, said the scholarship would expose her to global best practices in heritage preservation while enabling her to build international networks.
“I wanted an opportunity not just to study abroad, but also to experience different cultures. One of the most exciting aspects of Erasmus Mundus is the mobility. You get to travel, meet new people, experience different cultures and even learn new languages.”
She explained that her motivation letter, professional experience and clear career vision strengthened her application, adding that she hopes to return to Nigeria after further studies to establish a cultural management and heritage preservation enterprise.