The Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said on Wednesday in Abuja that Nigerian youths are not inferior to their international counterparts due to their exceptional educational skills.

The minister said this at the 2022 pre-departure orientation for over 200 young Nigerians who had received the post-graduate scholarship offered by the European Union (EU), which would run concurrently under its Erasmus+ programme.

Mr Dare, who was represented by Olufemi Adeagbo, his aide, said he was delighted by the initiative of the bloc to engage young Nigerians to pursue their education in Europe.

“I am even more delighted to know that a record number had been awarded the prestigious Erasmus scholarship to study in various EU universities this year.

“The uninitiated and those that might not know this programme provide opportunities for over four million participants to study, train, get experience and do some volunteering.

“These scholarships are in the fields of education, training, youths in sports from 2021 to 2027, placing a very strong focus on social inclusion, grid and digital transition and also promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.

“All these form the core of my mandate as the minister of youths and sports development in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Samuela Isopi, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the bloc was proud of Nigerian performance for emerging in the second position after Pakistan.

She added that Nigerian youths have great potential to be in the second position, with over 200 awardees coming from six positions from last year at the Erasmus programme.

(NAN)