Scaling Up STEM Talent from Africa in Europe SUSTAIN
Connecting Nigerian STEM professionals with employers in Germany and Ireland through structured, rights-based legal pathways.
This project is ongoing. Results are preliminary.
"Being shortlisted for SUSTAIN is a recognition of the work I have put into building a career in STEM. I will bring everything I have learned in scaling technology and prove that world-class engineering talent comes from everywhere."
Motunrayo Koyejo, Senior Backend Engineer, Nigeria
Challenge & Approach
Europe has a shortage of STEM professionals in fields that underpin everything from digital infrastructure to the green energy transition. Nigeria is producing a growing number of highly qualified engineers, developers, and scientists with the technical skills that European employers need. SUSTAIN, implemented by Seefar, and co-funded by the EU through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) of ICMPD, was built to connect Nigerian talent to European need - through structured, legal pathways that create lasting opportunities for employers, candidates, and economies alike.
The Challenge
Nearly half of European businesses struggle to fill key roles in STEM. Meanwhile, many skilled Nigerian professionals - with the technical expertise European employers need - face limited opportunities at home and fragmented, often unsafe routes to international employment. Without structured pathways, talent and opportunity fail to connect.
Our Approach
SUSTAIN is a structured labour mobility programme that matches Nigerian STEM professionals directly with employers in Ireland and Germany. Candidates are supported at every stage - from application through to arrival - with tailored training, visa and relocation assistance, and mentorship to help them succeed in their new role and country.
How the Project Worked
Building the Talent Pipeline
Targeted digital outreach identifies eligible Nigerian STEM professionals, screening and ranking candidates before any specific role is confirmed. When an employer is ready to hire, the programme can respond within days. By March 2026, SUSTAIN had received 4,560+ registrations, with 2,142 eligible for migration - 114% of the original target.
Matching and Placement
A custom-built platform manages the full recruitment process: Talent Management Agencies (TMAs) in Nigeria and Europe post vacancies, identify suitable candidates, and shortlist profiles for employers. Once matched, candidates receive structured pre-departure training and relocation support - with reintegration assistance available for those who return to Nigeria
Employer Engagement
SUSTAIN connects employers in Germany and Ireland directly to top-tier Nigerian STEM talent - fully vetted, job-ready, and matched to their specific needs. It addresses key obstacles to international hiring with end-to-end support covering relocation, and arrival in the destination country. Free workplace training ensures organisations are equipped to onboard and integrate international professionals for long-term success.
Overcoming Hiring Barriers
Seefar's research across 30 in-depth interviews and a survey of 74 companies in Germany and Ireland found that employers rate international STEM professionals highly. 94% of respondents with direct experience of international recruitment reported that those recruits met their technical expectations, and 30% said they exceeded them. However, confidence breaks down around visa timelines, credential recognition, and perceived hiring risk.
"We identified the right candidate in Nigeria. The visa delays made it impossible to move forward. The talent was there - the system was the barrier."
SME representative, Employer Roundtable
SUSTAIN seeks to solve the process complexity that holds international hiring back by connecting employers directly to job-ready, pre-vetted Nigerian STEM talent through a structured pathway. The model is already delivering with an initial MoU signed with a German global travel-tech company and further employer engagements active across Germany and Ireland.
Reaching Women in STEM Through Influencer Outreach
Women earn STEM degrees at substantial rates in Nigeria, yet structural barriers - limited access to visible opportunities, network gaps, and fragmented mobility pathways - keep international careers out of reach for many. Early SUSTAIN data showed women made up only 22% of eligible candidates, below their share of Nigeria's broader STEM workforce. Seefar partnered with a prominent female Nigerian STEM influencer to reach underrepresented applicants. A single campaign shifted female candidates from 22% to 42% - the pipeline now stands at 38% women.
Innovation Spotlight - A Verified Talent Pipeline
Most international recruitment is reactive: employers identify a need, begin a search, and face delay before a suitable candidate is found. SUSTAIN took a different approach - building a verified, searchable pipeline of pre-vetted and job-ready Nigerian STEM candidates before specific roles are identified. When an employer is ready to hire, matched candidates are available within days.
A custom-built platform manages the process end to end. Talent Management Agencies in Nigeria and Europe post vacancies, identify suitable candidates, and track progress in one centralised location. Background screening and document verification happen before employer contact - removing the friction that most commonly derails international recruitment.
The pipeline spans software development and engineering to climate-related technical fields - deliberately broad enough to respond to the range of employer demand across Germany and Ireland.
Key Achievements
4,560+
registrations from Nigerian STEM professionals - 2,142 eligible for migration, 114% of target
38%
of the pipeline is female — above women's representation in Nigeria's STEM workforce
1
MoU signed with a German global travel-tech company - 4–5 engineering roles, with further engagements active across Germany and Ireland
2
research reports published across Germany, Ireland, and five EU Talent Partnership Countries
8–15M
estimated monthly readers reached through Nigerian national media
94%
of employers with direct experience of international recruitment reported hires met their technical expectations
What SUSTAIN Taught Us: The Barrier Is the System, Not the Talent
SUSTAIN is built on a simple premise: that skilled migration should be a triple win. The EU economy gains access to highly skilled, pre-vetted STEM professionals. Nigeria benefits from knowledge transfer, remittances, and stronger international connections. And for participants, the programme offers a platform to build global careers and bring that experience back to strengthen Nigeria's own technology sector. The next step is to scale and replicate across other Talent Partnership Countries where the same structural gap exists.
Stories from the Field
Listen to recruiters and employers talk about the value of labour mobility programmes on on SUSTAIN's website" here
This article was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, contracted by ICMPD through the Migration Partnership Facility. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Seefar and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or ICMPD.