Nigeria tops Africa again with 89 EU Erasmus scholarships

Nigeria has reaffirmed its leading position in Africa for the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s scholarships, with 89 students securing fully funded places for the 2026 academic cycle. This significant number places Nigeria among the top five countries worldwide for admissions into the highly competitive international scholarship program.

The announcement was made by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, during the 2026 Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation in Abuja. Mignot stated that 163 Nigerian students were admitted into Erasmus Mundus master’s programs this year, with 89 receiving the coveted scholarships. This represents an increase from the 81 Nigerian recipients in 2025. Since Nigeria joined the initiative in 2014, the program is nearing a milestone of 1,000 Nigerian scholarship beneficiaries.

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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.

"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 highlighted that the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program offers fully funded education, enabling students to study at multiple universities across different European countries and earn joint, double, or multiple master’s degrees.

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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.

Ambassador Mignot expressed the EU's dedication to expanding access to global educational opportunities for Nigerian students. "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 stated. He emphasized that the program demonstrates the EU's commitment to providing merit-based access to world-class education for talented young Nigerians, offering regular migration opportunities for study in Europe.

Congratulating the scholars, Mignot urged them to represent Nigeria well abroad and return with knowledge and skills to contribute to national development. "You will be the ambassadors of Nigeria across Europe. And once you are back, we expect you to become true amb," he concluded.

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You will be the ambassadors of Nigeria across Europe. And once you are back, we expect you to become true amb