Nigeria Emerges as Africa’s Top Beneficiary, Ranks Among Global Top FiveThe European Union has awarded fully funded Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarships to 89 Nigerians for the 2026 academic year, reinforcing Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading beneficiary of the prestigious programme.
The announcement was made by EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation held in Abuja.Ambassador Mignot revealed that 163 Nigerians secured admission into the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programmes this year, with 89 receiving full scholarships — an improvement from the 81 recipients recorded in 2025.
“Nigeria again, like in 2024, [is] the top country in Africa and among the top five globally,” Mignot said, naming Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and the United States as other leading nations. Since Nigeria started benefiting from the programme in 2014, the number of scholarship recipients is now approaching the 1,000 mark.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programme is the EU’s flagship education initiative, offering fully funded postgraduate studies lasting 12 to 24 months. Beneficiaries study at a minimum of two universities in different European countries and graduate with joint, double, or multiple degrees.
Mignot described the scholarships as a demonstration of the EU’s commitment to providing young Nigerians with merit-based access to world-class education and regular migration opportunities.
“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,” he said. “It is indeed the concrete commitment of the EU to creating opportunities for Nigerian youth.”
The ambassador pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and Nigerian universities to further strengthen Nigeria’s global academic competitiveness.
