EU and Nigeria Launch Talks on Bilateral Science & Technology Cooperation Agreement
The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration on research and innovation, in line with the conclusions of the 2023 EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue and the 2024 EU-Nigeria Summit.
The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria have officially opened negotiations for a bilateral Science & Technology Cooperation Agreement. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration on research and innovation, in line with the conclusions of the 2023 EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue and the 2024 EU-Nigeria Summit. The discussions are designed to create a political framework that allows both parties to assess past cooperation, discuss lessons learned, and jointly determine future actions, aligned with the priority areas of bilateral cooperation and the multilateral 10-year African Union (AU)-EU Innovation Agenda (2023-2033).
The negotiations coincide with the second EU-Nigeria Science and Innovation Day, held on 24 February 2026 in Lagos. The event brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to celebrate the vibrancy of EU-Nigeria cooperation in science, technology, and innovation.
EU-Nigeria cooperation in research and innovation has grown steadily over the past years, guided by the Joint EU-Nigeria Roadmap developed from the 7th EU-Nigeria Ministerial Meeting in 2020. Key achievements include Nigeria’s increasing participation in the Horizon Europe framework programme and the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (EDCTP3).
In Horizon Europe, 55 projects involving Nigerian entities have received grants to date, predominantly in the fields of health, food, agriculture, and environment. These projects involve 65 participations by Nigerian organisations, benefiting from a total budget of approximately EUR 20 million. Nigeria also participates in 12 EDCTP3 projects, representing roughly EUR 75 million, with 15 Nigeria-based organisations receiving around EUR 9 million.
The European Union currently maintains bilateral Science and Technology Agreements with 20 countries worldwide, which are designed to promote research and innovation in areas of shared interest. Within Africa, the EU already holds such agreements with Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia, and the new negotiations with Nigeria are expected to further strengthen continental research and innovation collaboration.
