The Ukranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Valerii Aleksandruk, has disclosed that the 5,000 Nigerians currently studying in various higher institutions in Ukraine are safe, despite the Ukrainian- Russian face-off.
Aleksandruk told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja within the week that Nigerians in the crisis-prone areas had been evacuated to safer zones.
The Ukranian envoy said there was no cause for concern as the Ukranian authorities were doing everything possible to protect Nigerians in the country.
“We are satisfied with the present state of cooperation with Nigeria in education sphere and we are ready to further develop mutually beneficial contacts in this area.
“Currently, we have about 5,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine. Ukraine is a very popular destination for Nigerian students. We will like to extend this cooperation.
“Thousands of Nigerian students graduated from Ukranian universities and became prominent specialists in their branches of knowledge such as medicine, high technologies and oil and gas industry.
“After the Russian invasion in eastern part, we transferred the students to other universities in western parts of Ukraine to continue with their studies,” he said.
The envoy said professionalism of the Nigerian medical specialists who got their education in Ukraine was recognised worldwide.
According to him, many of them are working abroad but majority returned to their fatherland and are very helpful here in the country.
He called for fast-tracking of the signing of the inter-government agreement between Nigeria and Ukraine.
“Under this agreement, Nigeria will get some short quota scholarships for young prominent Nigerians to study in Ukraine,” he said.
Aleksandruk said “finalising and signing the intergovernmental Memorandum on cooperation in the field of education and science would give an opportunity to bring people of our countries much closer”.
