The British Council has announced a sum of £600,000 in UK-Nigeria grant-funded partnerships earmarked to support systemic change between 20 institutions and organisations.

The Chief Executive of the British Council, Scott McDonald, stated this Tuesday in Abuja during the presentation of an overview of transnational education in Nigeria by the National Universities Council (NUC).

He said the commitment of the British Council to a long-term investment in the Nigeria education sector as well as its continued growth, maintained that the relationship between the UK and Nigeria was very important, not forgetting the key role of the British Council to that effect.

McDonald, while speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Transnational Education (TNE) between the British Council and the NUC, noted that the partnership was aimed at opening up more opportunities for young Nigerians willing to study in the United Kingdom both virtually and physically.

He said: “Our work connects students, teachers and academics in Nigeria and the UK. It opens up access to international education knowledge, to expertise, and to study opportunities for young Nigerians.

“One of our key focus areas in Higher Education is supporting educational and research cooperation – including Transnational Education (TNE) – between Nigeria and the UK, including through standards and quality assurance.

“Through our regional HE programme, Innovation for African Universities (IAU), we have established UK-Nigeria grant funded partnerships worth £600,000, to support systemic change between 20 institutions and organisations. We have also identified opportunities for the further growth of this initiative by working with the Nigerian government.

“IAU was designed and developed by the British Council as part of our Going Global Partnerships programme. It aims to foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within African universities and facilitate the development of skills required to build industries, companies, products and services. Through the IAU platform, the British Council also funds a cohort of six partnerships that host a total of 20 enterprise support organisations and universities.”