ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The European Union has awarded 89 fully funded Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarships to Nigerian students for the 2026 academic session, reinforcing Nigeria’s status as the largest African beneficiary of the prestigious international scholarship programme.
The announcement was made by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation held in Abuja for beneficiaries preparing to begin postgraduate studies across Europe, according to a statement issued on Sunday.
Mignot disclosed that 163 Nigerian students gained admission into Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes this year, with 89 of them securing the highly competitive fully funded scholarships.
The figure places Nigeria once again as Africa’s top-performing country and among the five leading countries globally for admissions into the programme.
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“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, together with Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the United States,” Mignot said.
He said the number of scholarship recipients rose from 81 in 2025 to 89 this year, noting that Nigeria is nearing 1,000 Erasmus Mundus scholarship beneficiaries since joining the initiative in 2014.
“We have 89 scholarship awardees this year, up from 81 in 2025,” he said.
Mignot described the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programme as one of the world’s most competitive postgraduate scholarship schemes, offering fully funded opportunities that allow students to study at a minimum of two universities in two participating European countries before graduating with joint, double or multiple master’s degrees.
He added that the European Union would continue working with Nigeria to improve the country’s performance under the programme and expand access to international education.
“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,” he said.
According to the ambassador, the Erasmus programme reflects the EU’s commitment to providing talented young Nigerians with merit-based access to quality education abroad.
“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.
Congratulating the successful candidates, Mignot urged them to represent Nigeria positively during their studies and return with skills and experience that would contribute to national development.
“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.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, the Director of the Directorate of Students, Dr. Chinelo Nwosu, praised the European Union for its continued investment in developing Nigeria’s human capital.
She encouraged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity and return home to contribute to the country’s development.
“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,” she said.
Also speaking, the 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 more than a send-off ceremony, saying it celebrated excellence and the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the European Union in promoting education, research, innovation and human capital development.
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“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 said.
One of the scholarship recipients, Oluchi Yulis Myron, who will pursue studies in cultural management, said the award would provide valuable international exposure while equipping her with knowledge to strengthen Nigeria’s creative and cultural sectors.
“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 said.
She expressed confidence that the programme would expose her to global best practices in heritage preservation, which she intends to apply in Nigeria after completing her studies.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programme is the European Union’s flagship international scholarship initiative, offering fully funded postgraduate education at leading universities across Europe. Students study in at least two participating countries before graduating with joint, double or multiple master’s degrees.
Since Nigeria joined the programme in 2014, the country has consistently ranked among its leading participants worldwide. With 163 admissions and 89 fully funded scholarship recipients in the 2026 academic cycle, Nigeria has retained its position as Africa’s biggest beneficiary, highlighting its growing record of producing globally competitive graduates.