FG and EU Seal Historic Tech Pact After 20-Year Wait, Opening €100bn Funding Doors for Nigerian Varsities

Nigeria’s academic and tech sectors are on the verge of a “knowledge gold rush.” After two decades of informal collaboration, the Federal Government and the European Union have officially signed a Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, transforming Nigeria into the primary hub for scientific advancement in Africa.

The deal, signed in Abuja on Monday by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, and EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot, creates a legal bridge to Horizon Europe, the European Union’s staggering €100 billion research fund. For Nigerian universities, this means a shift from small-scale grants to large-scale, multi-year funding for projects in Artificial Intelligence, climate resilience, and public health.

“The significance of this moment is not lost on us,” Minister Udeh stated during the signing ceremony. “We are moving beyond standard action plans to a structured environment where our local ingenuity can finally scale into global industrial impact. This is the first agreement of its kind the EU has signed with any nation in over 20 years.”

The timing is strategic. As Lagos hosted the “Nigeria-EU Science and Innovation Day” on Tuesday, researchers from across the country were already pitching for a slice of the €104 million specifically backed for African research ties. The agreement specifically targets the growth of “unicorns” startups valued at over $1 billion of which Nigeria already produces the majority in Africa.

To prevent the agreement from becoming another forgotten document, the two parties have launched the EU-Nigeria Joint Science and Technical Cooperation Committee. This body will act as a watchdog, ensuring that Nigerian Master’s and PhD students, along with university labs, can seamlessly participate in international academic exchanges. With the foundation now laid, the “State of Harmony” in Nigeria’s research ecosystem is set to be powered by European funding and local talent.