\n\n
Nigeria has once again emerged as Africa’s leading beneficiary of the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Scholarship Programme, with 89 Nigerian students awarded fully funded scholarships for the 2026 academic cycle. Speaking during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation in Abuja, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed that 163 Nigerians gained admission into Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes this year, placing Nigeria not only first in Africa but also among the top five countries globally for admissions, alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the United States.
Mignot noted that the number of Nigerian scholarship recipients increased from 81 in 2025 to 89 in 2026, bringing the country close to 1,000 beneficiaries since joining the programme in 2014. He described Erasmus Mundus as one of the world’s most competitive postgraduate scholarship schemes, offering fully funded opportunities for students to study at at least two universities in two different European countries before earning joint, double or multiple master’s degrees. He added that the European Union would continue working with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and local universities to improve the country’s global ranking in the programme.
The EU ambassador said the programme reflects the bloc’s commitment to expanding legal and merit-based educational opportunities for young Nigerians while strengthening human capital development. He encouraged the scholarship recipients to excel in their studies and return home with the knowledge, skills and international networks needed to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development. Representatives of the National Universities Commission also commended the EU for its sustained investment in higher education and capacity building for Nigerian students.
