The Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO and UNICAF have entered a strategic partnership to expand access to internationally recognised higher education for Nigerians through the Educational Financial Facility Scheme.

Unveiled at the weekend, the partnership offers qualifying Nigerian students up to 86% scholarship coverage on tuition fees for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programmes delivered through the UNICAF pathway.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UNICAF, Dr Nicos Nicolaou, disclosed that beneficiaries admitted through the scheme would pay only 14% of their tuition fees, with the remaining 86% covered through scholarship support across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes offered by internationally accredited institutions.

“UNICAF is pleased to enter into this strategic partnership with the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO, an institution whose mandate aligns directly with the principles that have guided UNICAF since its founding,” he said.

Nicolaou explained that the facility was designed in respectful complement to the Federal Government's Nigeria Education Loan Fund and in shared service of the Renewed Hope Agenda, rather than as a replacement for it.

President of UNESCO REF, Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu Oranmiyan, described the scheme as a structured mechanism for improving Nigerian students' access to globally recognised higher education.

“Through this facility, in partnership with UNICAF, qualifying candidates secure up to 86% scholarship coverage on their tuition, advancing Nigeria's commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and standing in measured complement to the Federal Government's Nigeria Education Loan Fund,” he stated.

He revealed that UNESCO REF would continue partnering with reputable international institutions to widen access to accredited qualifications while supporting the Federal Government's human capital development agenda, noting that the initiative supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 on equitable access to tertiary education and Goal 8 on youth employment and skills development.

Implementation would be tracked through enrolment figures, programme completion rates, accreditation outcomes and graduate employability, according to the partner organisations.

A registered nurse at Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, Mrs Grace Adetola, shared her experience as a beneficiary, revealing that the scholarship enabled her to pursue a Master's degree in Public Health Management after years of being unable to afford postgraduate study.

“The 86% scholarship coverage under this facility has removed what was, for me, a structural barrier to postgraduate study. I am now enrolled for my master's, and I commend this scheme without reservation to every Nigerian professional who shares the ambition of advancing their qualifications on an internationally recognised platform,” she said.

The partners maintained that the initiative is expected to widen access to tertiary education, strengthen Nigeria's knowledge economy, and contribute to the country's long term sustainable development goals.