Grace Ashiru
Nigeria and the European Union signed a science and technology cooperation agreement in Abuja, according to official statements.
The agreement was signed by Gautier Mignot, head of the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Kingsley Udeh, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Research, and Technology.
The cooperation framework provides access to the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme, according to Udeh.
According to European Commission data, 55 projects involving Nigerian entities have received Horizon Europe grants, primarily in health, food, agriculture, and environment sectors. These involve 65 participations by Nigerian organizations with approximately €20 million in funding. A total of 15 Nigeria-based organizations participate, receiving approximately €9 million.
The Horizon Europe programme budget totals nearly €100 billion for research and innovation funding across participating countries, according to EU documentation.
Both parties established a Joint Science and Technical Cooperation Committee to oversee implementation and track outcomes, according to official statements.
Mignot said the agreement provides a legal and political framework to expand participation, funding access, and visibility for Nigerian organizations in EU-backed research projects.
Udeh stated the agreement represents Nigeria’s first such framework with the EU in over two decades.
The cooperation will focus on cross-border projects in health, agriculture, climate, food systems, and technology sectors, according to official statements.
