The European Union and the Nigeria have formally opened negotiations for a bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, marking a significant step toward strengthening research collaboration, accelerating innovation, and deepening strategic ties under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
The inception meeting, held on Tuesday at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology in Abuja, signalled what both parties described as a decisive move to build a stronger innovation ecosystem and enhance institutional partnerships.
The negotiations come ahead of the second EU-Nigeria Science and Innovation Day scheduled for February 24, 2026, in Lagos, an event expected to bring together policymakers, researchers, and private sector stakeholders from both sides.
According to officials, the proposed agreement reflects commitments made during the 2023 EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue and the 2024 EU-Nigeria Summit. It will also align with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda (2023–2033), which seeks to foster joint research, digital transformation, green transition, and entrepreneurship across Africa and Europe.
The envisioned pact aims to establish a long-term political and legal framework to assess previous cooperation efforts, strengthen collaboration between research institutions, and jointly define priority areas for future action.
Stakeholders say the agreement, once concluded, is expected to unlock new funding opportunities, facilitate researcher mobility, and promote knowledge exchange in critical sectors including renewable energy, health, agriculture, and digital technologies.
