Applications from African students to Russian agricultural programs have grown fivefold in five years

The number of African applicants to Russian agricultural programs has seen a dramatic rise over the past five years, Russia's federal agency for international cooperation told Izvestia on Friday. 

According to the news agency, applications from African nationals for agricultural studies at Russian universities have grown fivefold from 2020-25.

At present, over 1,600 students from 45 African countries are enrolled in institutions operating under the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. Agronomy, veterinary medicine, and agricultural engineering are the most sought-after disciplines for the students, who are mainly from Cameroon, Mali, Algeria, and Egypt, the ministry said.

The ministry noted that for the 2025/26 academic year, the Russian government has allocated 207 state-funded scholarships for African students - up from 120 in the previous academic year.

Russia is also ready to broaden its export of agricultural technologies to assist African nations in bolstering food security, the Ministry of Agriculture said. "There is significant potential for cooperation in the areas of genetics and breeding, the supply of veterinary medicines, plant protection products, agricultural machinery, and fertilizers," it added.

Russia's agricultural cooperation with African countries continues to grow, the ministry told Izvestia, adding that over the past five years, exports of Russian mineral fertilizers to the continent "have more than doubled."

In December, RIA Novosti reported, citing the deputy speaker of the State Duma, Aleksandr Babakov, that Russian lawmakers provided the government with proposals on funding to support students from African countries. 

"Deputies and experts have appealed to the Russian government with proposals to create mechanisms to finance and support educational programmes aimed at training personnel for African countries, including scholarships and grants for students from Africa," Babakov said.

Rossotrudnichestvo head Evgeny Primakov also highlighted the growing demand for Russian education, language, and cultural programs, noting that these agreements respond to requests from local communities.

READ MORE: Russian MPs propose new funding for African students

Speaking at the Russia-Africa summit in July 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a substantial expansion of educational support, stating that the number of federal scholarships for African students had grown by 150% over the preceding three years. According to Putin, more than 4,700 African students were set to receive these scholarships in 2024.