Education
Russia Eyes African Students to Boost Influence
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
Early September, while addressing the staff and students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Foreign Affairs Minister, Sergey Lavrov, reiterated Russia’s readiness to cooperate actively in the sustainable economic development and to strengthen efforts at training the needed specialists and professionals for Africa.
After the collapse of the Soviet system in 1991, there were problems to sustain relations with Africa. Then after more than a decade, Russia started to return to Africa. This process has been ongoing for the past 15 years, according the top Russian diplomat.
Lavrov said: “This return is taking the form of resuming a very close political dialogue, which has always been at a strategic and friendly level, as well as resuming people-to-people, cultural, and educational ties: 15,000 Africans are now studying in Russia, and about a third of them receive scholarships provided by the Russian state.”
Indeed, this year has been characterized by frequent interactions between Russian and African Foreign Ministers, plethora of MoUs were signed that set out the broad parameters of cooperation. Russia’s Education Ministry and the Foreign Affairs have raised the quotas for many African countries, the highest given to Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique.
According to report posted MFA website in August, for instance, some 1,120 Angolans have enrolled, on Russian scholarships or grants, at various institutes and universities throughout the Russian Federation. Figures for other African countries are available on the official information portal of the ministry.
Besides state-sponsored students, Russia’s Education Ministry has also launched a large-scale educational campaign targeting to recruit private foreign students into its educational institutions across the Russian Federation. The program to be implemented until 2025, which has a launched website (studyinrussia) translated into different languages, seeks to boost the popularity and improve image abroad.
Russia further aims at strengthening next generation of pro-Russian elites who will help promote its interests, including long-term ones in their home countries. With this in mind, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ultimately, hope to improve the efficiency of “soft power” in Africa, though not to the levels during the Soviet era.
Understandably, Russia is now targeting Africa’s fast-growing population as a huge potential market for knowledge transfer and export education. Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a widely circulated Russian daily newspaper, reported that Russia has been refocusing on young population in developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, targeting the elite and middle class in these markets for the export of education, which has great potential.
The newspaper reported about advantages of multiculturalism and cross-cultural interactive activities paving the way for intergration in the Russian society. As far back as April 2011, Russia’s Federation Council and State Duma (upper and lower houses of parliament) passed a bill. That bill was finally signed into a law that allows foreign students the right to employment, a replica of work and study modelled program in the western and European countries.
Professor Viktor Sadovnichy, Rector of Moscow State University and Chairman of Russian Rectors’ Association, an organization that unites more than 700 heads of higher education institutions, argued that education and demography are interconnected, developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America have growing middle-class.
“This favours the export of our education, it has a great potential cooperating in education sphere, it could serve as a huge market – training young professionals that are in demand on the labour market,” Sadovnichy said, addressing a plenary meeting of the Russian Rectors’ Association at Peter the Great St Petersburg State Polytechnic University in April 2018.
In an interview with Eurasia Review, Professor Natalia Vlasova, Deputy Rector at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Ural State University of Economics (USUE) in Yekaterinburg, explained that many African countries are developing rapidly, the African elites and the growing middle-class are great potentials for sponsoring their children’s education abroad.
“In times of Soviet Union, African countries were strategic partners, and now we should reactivate these relations because in the nearest future they will have big economic and political power. This could, indeed, be a huge market and has potential for business,” she noted assertively.
In addition, Vadim Trofimovich Kirsanov, African Affairs Advisor at the Regional Projects Department, Russkiy Mir Foundation, in an interview discussion with Eurasia Review also explained the absolute necessity to develop bilateral ties not only in economic sphere but also in education and culture, promote exchange of people and ideas in the social sphere. Russkiy Mir Foundation is non-profit Russian NGO created primarily to promote Russian language, image and culture abroad.
“We must use the full potential interest in Russian culture, Russian language, mutual sympathy and interest between the peoples of Russia and Africa, a great desire of Russians and Africans to visit each other to make friends, establish new connections. It will be of high interest to African countries, which they have passionately appreciated, when Russian authorities create this social platform towards the development of Russian-African relations,” according to the Advisor at Russkiy Mir Foundation.
An educational survey released in September 2019, divided into five major groups, said Russia has made little efforts at improving teaching (the learning environment), research, citations (research influence), knowledge transfer, and international outlook (staff, students, research) in the educational field, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. By Kester Kenn Klomegah
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, KolaDaisi University (KDU), in a bid to strengthen the talent-to-industry pipeline, will hold its inaugural Career Fair at its campus in Ibadan, Oyo State, with over 200 final-year students, alumni, and a diverse range of leading employers across multiple sectors expected to partake in the programme.
The one-day event, organised by the Directorate of Advancement and Alumni Relations, will feature participation from top-tier organisations spanning finance, consulting, technology, manufacturing, and other key industries.
Participating companies will engage directly with students, offering opportunities for graduate trainee programmes, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) placements, internships, and entry-level employment.
In addition to recruitment opportunities, the Career Fair will include a series of industry-led sessions, panel discussions, and networking engagements designed to provide students with insights into workplace expectations, emerging career trends, and professional development pathways.
“At KolaDaisi University, we are deliberate about preparing our students for life beyond the classroom. This Career Fair represents a critical platform for fostering meaningful engagement between our students and industry leaders.
“It is not just an event, but a long-term investment in partnerships that will drive innovation, talent development, and economic growth,” the President of the Directorate of Advancement and Alumni Relations, Mrs Olasumbo Obaseki, stated.
The Career Fair underscores the university’s commitment to equipping its students with not only academic excellence but also the practical skills, professional exposure, and networks required for success in today’s competitive labour market.
It is put together in collaboration with key industry partners, including Chapel Hill Denham, Mobile Screens and Sound Limited, SKOT Communications, LEADWAY Assurance, HighlerLife Properties Consult Ltd, Idea Konsult, New Horizons Nigeria, alongside several other organisations committed to nurturing emerging talent.
These partnerships reflect a shared vision of developing a workforce that is both competent and responsive to evolving industry needs.
This impactful and timely initiative is an essential platform for aligning academic outcomes with industry expectations.
The initiative forms part of KDU’s broader institutional strategy to enhance graduate employability through sustained industry engagement, career readiness programmes, and alumni relations.
By creating structured opportunities for interaction between students and employers, the institution continues to position itself as a forward-thinking institution committed to producing globally competitive graduates.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Professor Segun Aina has been appointed to replace Professor Is-haq Oloyede as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The two-term tenure of his successor expires on July 31, 2026.
Mr Aina was chosen for the position by President Bola Tinubu, and he is expected to bring to bear his vast experience, knowledge and practical insight into the operations of the board, to take the critical educational organisation beyond the laudable heights achieved by his predecessor.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Professor Aina, who will be 40 in July, is a distinguished academic and systems expert with extensive experience in national examination systems, digital infrastructure, and public-sector institutional reform.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent, an MSc in Internet Computing and Network Security, and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing, both from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. He has also completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.
A Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Mr Aina began his career with JAMB during his National Youth Service, gaining foundational experience in national admissions and data-driven institutional processes. These insights have shaped his ongoing contributions to examination reform and systems optimisation.
With over 15 years of post-graduation experience, Professor Aina operates at the intersection of technology, policy, and institutional transformation, advising federal and state governments on system design, digital transition, and operational reform. At 39, he became one of Nigeria’s youngest Computer Engineering professors and will now make history as JAMB’s youngest registrar.
He has served as a consultant to major examination bodies, including NECO, NABTEB, and various State Ministries of Education, providing expertise on ICT systems, examination integrity, and digital process optimisation.
Professor Aina is a member of several professional bodies, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A transformative initiative designed to equip young Nigerian engineers with the technical expertise and practical experience needed to drive sustainable power generation nationwide has been launched by Sahara Power Group.
This programme, known as the Sahara Power Technical and Innovation Academy (SPTIA), will be hosted by Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), two of Nigeria’s leading power generation companies and members of the Sahara Power Group.
It was created as part of the company’s vision to deliver reliable and sustainable energy through a combination of infrastructure investment and human capital development, ensuring that Nigeria’s energy future is powered by both innovation and indigenous expertise.
Fifty graduate engineers will undergo a rigorous 10-month programme that combines intensive classroom learning with hands-on, on-the-job training across critical generation assets.
Participants will be exposed to real-time plant operations, maintenance systems, and industry best practices, positioning them for impactful careers in the power sector.
A strong emphasis will also be placed on safety as a core pillar of the academy. The trainees will undergo mandatory safety modules covering industry standards and safe work practices, complemented by practical, scenario-based sessions.
This approach is designed to instil a safety-first culture and ensure that all participants are equipped to operate confidently and responsibly beyond compliance within the Plant environment.
At the end of the programme, top-performing trainees will be deployed across Sahara Power Group’s businesses, including Egbin Power, FIPL, and upstream operations, while others will be released into the broader Nigerian electricity labour market as part of the Group’s commitment to strengthening sector-wide capacity.
The Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Mr Kola Adesina, said the initiative represents a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s future and a strategic response to the sector’s talent needs.
“We are committed to powering Nigeria not just through infrastructure, but through people. This academy reflects our belief that the future of sustainable energy delivery must be driven by skilled, young professionals who understand the local operating environment,” he stated.
“Egbin Power and FIPL provide the ideal platforms for this initiative, given their track record of operational excellence and technical depth. By leveraging these assets, we are creating a pipeline of engineers who are not only technically sound but also industry-ready from the outset,” he added.
Mr Adesina further charged the trainees to work as a team and ensure that the training programme brings out problem-solving skills that will enable them to contribute to human development and the progress of the power sector.
“We are here to truly and responsibly make a difference. We are here to look around our environment, and we are curious enough to see how we can make things better. We believe you are to make things better and add value to the sector,” he said.
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