Russia has offered to increase its annual scholarship quota for Nigerian students beyond the current 220, pending collaboration with the ministry of education.
The offer was made in Abuja during a recession meeting between the Russian embassy and the ministry of art, culture, tourism and the creative economy.
A statement issued by Nneka Anibeze, special adviser on media and publicity to the minister of art, culture and the creative economy, the proposal was made by A.L. Podelyshev, the Russian ambassador to Nigeria.
“Discussions centered on various areas, including youth development through creative industries, cultural exchange, and economic cooperation,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Podelyshev expressed interest in strengthening cultural exchange between the two countries, proposing visits by Nigerian cultural groups to Russia and reciprocal tours by Russian artists to Nigeria.
He also pledged assistance in preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage through advanced technological means.
“The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts seeks and proposes collaboration with Nigeria for joint theatre programs and training. It also proposes cooperation in preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage through digital technologies like 3D scanning and virtual reality,” Podelyshev was quoted as saying.
Musawa welcomed the proposals, noting that Nigeria’s large youth population presents an opportunity to drive development through culture and creativity.
“There is great need to harness their potential through the creative and cultural industries,” she said.
“We emphasize the use of culture and creativity to engage young people on global issues like youth employment and economic hardship, climate change, education and mental health challenges.”
The minister also proposed that creative economy and audiovisual co-productions be added to future bilateral agreements between Nigeria and Russia.
Both sides agreed to designate focal persons and establish timelines for follow-up actions to ensure the implementation of agreed initiatives.
Podelyshev extended an invitation to Nigeria to participate in the Kazan Cultural Fair scheduled for November and proposed reviving a pending memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cultural cooperation, which has been under consideration for two years.
The ambassador said the Russian embassy looks forward to receiving concrete proposals from Nigeria on priority areas of collaboration, adding that both countries share a mutual willingness to proceed with the MoU and begin joint projects in culture, tourism, and the creative sector.
