By Princess-Ekwi Ajide, Abuja
Stakeholders at the 2022 Pre- departure orientation event organised by the European Union, EU, for beneficiaries of the Erasmus plus scholarship programme, agreed that Nigerian youths have all it takes to compete favourably globally.
Speaker after speaker at the event, described the scholarship programme as a win-win cooperation and harped on the need to create enabling environment for learning for better chances for potential beneficiaries in the future.
For the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, represented by his Special Assistant on Youth Development, Mr. Olufemi Adeagbo, the scholarship is focused on topics that will promote young people’s participation in democratic life and urged the youths to make the most out of the experience bearing in mind that they are not inferior to anyone anywhere for they have what it takes to compete favourably in the global work space and can leave a lasting positive input.
He appealed to the youths not to only use the opportunity to improve themselves but to also seek and make positive impact on the National life by helping to make knowledge available to their contemporaries through teaching, research and networking and also promoting grassroots activities in sports.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu represented by Mrs. Nda Ina Asta of the Scholarship Board, of the Ministry, and the Deputy Executive Director, Administration, National Universities Commission, Mr. Chris Maiyaki, underscored the pivotal role of youths as critical stakeholders in nation building and charged them to explore all opportunities that will enable them succeed in their different institutions.
Earlier in her welcome address, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Samuela Isopi, said the scholarship shows the will of the EU and its member states to open up legal migration pathways and opportunities to Nigerians to study abroad especially as education plays very important roles in building the youth for the future.
The Ambassador, who urged the beneficiaries to be ambassadors of Nigeria when they get to Europe and become good ambassadors of EU when they return said the scholarship has capacity to connect and unite young people across the globe to work together for peace, prosperity and for the common good.
Some of the beneficiaries including Uzoamaka Asiegbu, Uziro Abubakar among others, gave tips on how to get the scholarship.
