EU-FUNDED MIGRATURITY PROJECT: AE-FUNAI A KEY NIGERIAN PARTNER IN THE MAJOR MIGRATION AND SECURITY CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE

Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State is one of the principal Nigerian partners and beneficiary of MIGRATURITY project, a new European Union-funded Initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of higher educational institutions in Sub-Saharan African to tackle migration and security challenges.

The four year programme titled “Building Capacity of Sub-Saharan Africa HEIs in Addressing Migrations and Security Issues,” which will run from 2025 to 2028 brings together institutions from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Italy, Serbia, and Turkey, aims to enhance good governance, peace, and the rule of law by equipping universities with the tools needed to manage migration and related security issues in an inclusive and gender-sensitive manner.
At the center of this Global Collaboration, AE-FUNAI stands out as one of the only two Nigerian universities partners alongside the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINA), that worked with leading institutions in Europe, including Union Nikola Tesla University in Serbia (the project coordinator), the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, and Necmettin Erbakan University in Turkey to develop the global initiative.

The EU-backed MIGRATURITY project focuses on one overarching goal which is to build the capacity of African higher education institutions in migration-priority countries, such as Nigeria to address migration and security issues while promoting inclusive, gender-sensitive governance.
Speaking during a visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the university to keep him abreast of the Iniative, the Project Coordinator, Professor Robert Onyeneke said: ‘as a beneficiary institution, AE-FUNAI will participate across all seven work packages, which span preparation, gender analysis, social inclusion, communication and dissemination, and full project administration”.

He added that, “this is a major Milestone for AE-FUNAI as participation in the MIGRATURITY project marks a new significant step in expanding the university’s international research footprint and strengthening its capacity to address critical national challenges”, stressing that the collaboration is expected to enhance academic programs, inform policy engagement, and improve institutional systems that respond to migration-related issues affecting Nigeria and the broader Sub-Saharan region.
To achieve this, he outlined three specific objectives of the project which include enhancing standards, procedures, and infrastructure for migration and security management within HEIs in Nigeria and Ethiopia, increasing knowledge and inter-sectoral cooperation among universities, government agencies, and local institutions on legal and illegal migration and finally improving administrative and project management capacities to support long-term international collaboration.

While commending the team of researchers for securing such high-caliber grant from the European Union, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sunday Elom speaking through the Deputy Vice-chancellor, Academic, Professor Romanus Ejiaga noted that as the project unfolds over the next three years, AE-FUNAI is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a more secure, inclusive, and well-governed society through evidence-based research, capacity-building, and global scholarly collaboration.

He reassured of the university’s commitment towards promoting and supporting evidenced-based and service-oriented research geared towards solving some of the challenges confronting the Nigerian society. He further urged other academics to breast up to the challenges of 21st teaching and learning, where research, development and innovation are at the core.

The multidisciplinary team of experts to drive the project in the university include: Professor Robert Onyeneke – Institutional Project Coordinator; Dr. Kingsley Oyekezie – team member; Dr. Vivian Njemanze – team member; Dr. Kennedy Ololo – team member; Dr. Kenneth Adinde – team member; Mrs. Chinenye Onyeneke – team member and Dr. Anthony Oko-Isu – team member. Their combined expertise spans security studies, gender, social inclusion, and higher education administration are key areas emphasized in the project’s scope.

The Initiative is worth a total of 399,834 Euros for the consortium, while AE-FUNAI as a partner is entitled to 39,040 Euros.