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Studying in France is cheap and best for Nigerians as the government of the country pays universities €14,000 for each student irrespective of their origin, according to Charline Fouchet of Campus France, Embassy of France in Abuja.
Speaking on the just concluded French Education Fair, which attracted major educational institutions in France to Nigeria, Fouchet said 250,000 foreign students chose France each year, out of which over 100,000 were from Africa, making the country the third host country in the world after the United States and the United Kingdom.
She said many scholarships were available at masters and PhD levels, citing 2016 when France invested €75 million in scholarships to foreign students as a testament.
“Here in Nigeria, all our government scholarships are joint scholarships offered with Nigerian partners. States, universities and parastatals like the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) have partnered with us and many more are coming on board this year,” she stated.
According to her, one of Campus France’s new projects was to help fund fieldwork for social sciences, while planning to help finance young researchers wishing to tackle climate change.
“Of course, our main capacity building programme jointly offered will be continued and expanded and we will look at a number of projects that may build on that,” she stated.
Responding to questions, Rafiu Omoleye of Campus France, Embassy of France, Lagos, said the embassy was recording high number of Nigerians seeking admissions to French institutions.
“We have recorded a high number of students seeking admission and we help them through the process. Last year, we had a number of Nigerian students who got scholarships,” Omoleye said, advising students seeking admission to the Western European country to learn French.
A statement from the embassy says that France and Nigeria have dynamic relations, stating, however, that strengthening the ties requires exchanges and permanent dialogue at all levels in order to improve mutual understanding.
“International student mobility benefits Nigeria and France equally. Nigerian students going to France are exposed to a different education in a very dynamic centre of innovation and research.
“They gain international exposure and build a vast network of contacts, key factors for enhancing the development of any national economy,” the statement says.
Some of the universities that participated in the Education Fair were University of Grenoble, University of Lyon, Science Po Paris, Centrale and Monptellier Business School, among others.
ODINAKA ANUDU
