The United Kingdom and Nigeria have announced a transnational education partnership aimed at raising the quality of higher education and aligning it with the needs of modern economies.
This collaboration was unveiled during the opening session of the Going Global Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, emphasized the mutual benefits of the partnership, stating that the initiative would enable UK universities to collaborate more effectively with Nigerian institutions, ensuring the establishment of common standards and the sharing of expertise.
“This partnership will help build more resilient higher education institutions that provide better quality education,” Montgomery said.
“It’s in all our interests to meet the needs of economies in Africa while fostering stronger relationships.” Montgomery added that Sir Steve Smith, the UK Prime Minister’s International Education Champion, and a delegation of 11 Vice Chancellors from UK universities are engaging with their Nigerian counterparts in discussions set to span Abuja and Lagos over the coming days.
Speaking on the state of Nigeria’s education system, Minister of Education Tunji Alaussa underscored the urgency of reform.
He noted that a significant number of Nigerian graduates lack the skills required to secure employment, which poses a challenge for the nation’s youth-dominated population of over 200 million.
“We’re producing a lot of graduates who are not employable,” Alaussa said. “With 70% of our population under the age of 30, it is crucial to align our education system with the needs of the 21st century.”