Spain has pledged to grant postgraduate scholarship to 13 students across the ECOWAS region.
Mr Marcelino Ansorena, Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that Spain was aware of the need to enlarge its scholarship programmes.
“Nigeria is a very big country and we do not want to only provide the teaching and learning of Spanish to privileged people, but also to enlarge our scholarships.
“This year, Spain is granting 13 postgraduate scholarships to ECOWAS to enables people to study Masters Degree in International Relations at the Spanish Diplomacy School.
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“Three of the awardees are from Nigeria.
“This is very important because those Nigerian diplomats are going to Diplomatic Spanish School in Madrid and will have International Spanish degree.
“This will reinforce our diplomatic relations with future diplomats and elites of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a network of people who have studied the same degree,’’ Ansorena said.
He said the embassy would work closely with the Spanish Women for Africa Foundation, an NGO, which grants scholarship for women to study in Spain to achieve desired goals.
He recalled that Spain signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ECOWAS to enhance trade cooperation in the sub-region since 2009.
“I think the programme of cooperation is very much appreciated by ECOWAS.
“Both Spain and Nigeria have different cultural dimensions; in Nigeria, there are different communities, while Spain has five languages namely, Spanish, Galician, Basque (euskarian), Aranes and Catalan.
“Both countries also share similarities in diversity; we have to maintain democracy in our countries and follow rule of law.’’
The envoy said the Spanish Embassy has been an active cultural actor in Nigeria through Spanish activities to encourage the speaking of the language.
Ansorena described the relationship between Spain and Nigeria has been mutual and that both countries would strengthen such relations between them to promote their growth. (NAN)
