Written by: Wafa M' Sallem, Regional Manager
In just a few years, the Erasmus+ National Focal Point (ENFP) network in Sub-Saharan Africa has evolved from a collection of newly appointed national contacts into an increasingly connected regional community.
© Image: PRACSIS/ENFPs 2026
Established in 2022, the network now spans 42 countries. ENFPs have organised more than 100 national information sessions, reaching universities, vocational education and training institutions, youth organisations and public authorities across the region.
But the growth of the network is no longer best measured only by the number of activities delivered.
One of the network’s most significant developments has been the emergence of a regional community where ENFPs increasingly exchange expertise, and support one another across borders to collectively strengthen Erasmus+ outreach in their countries.
Working Across Borders
In the early stages of the network, the ENFP role was mainly about building national awareness of Erasmus+ and helping institutions understand the opportunities available to them. In recent years, the reach of the ENFP role has expanded.
Experienced ENFPs are now contributing directly to activities organised by their counterparts in other countries. The scale of this peer support demonstrates how expertise is increasingly circulating within the network.
Prof. Zoly Rakotoniera, the ENFP from Madagascar, for example, has contributed as a speaker to seven information sessions organised by colleagues elsewhere in the region. ENFPs from Lesotho, Dr Thabeng Rapitso and Malawi, Mr Private Mchenga have each contributed to eight information sessions, while the ENFP from Mauritius has shared expertise in six countries.
These exchanges are particularly valuable in countries where familiarity with Erasmus+ remains limited. ENFPs for these countries can draw on the experience of colleagues who have faced similar challenges, tested different approaches and built relationships with institutions and programme stakeholders.
Presentations, communication tools, lessons learned and practical resources are shared across the network. Peer mentoring and bilateral coaching have also become part of how ENFPs support one another.
The result is a network that is building and sharing its own practical knowledge and experience.
Building the Network’s Capacity
The network’s development has been supported by continuous investment in the focal points’ capacity.
Community-building meetings, bilateral coaching, peer exchanges and regional activities have enabled ENFPs to strengthen their knowledge. In 2026, this was complemented by the launch of the ENFP Master Class. It provides structured online learning designed to consolidate knowledge, harmonise practices and strengthen the ability of focal points to advise institutions throughout the Erasmus+ project cycle.
This capacity-building approach reflects the ENFPs’ expanding roles.
An effective focal point is no longer simply expected to explain Erasmus+ calls and opportunities. ENFPs are now also helping institutions understand application processes, identify appropriate opportunities, establish contacts with potential partners, and take their first steps towards international cooperation.
In several countries, information activities have already led to requests for follow-up coaching, bilateral discussions and partnership support.
Regional Exchange, National Results
Regional networking has also begun to generate concrete results at country level.
The Erasmus+ Week in Addis Ababa in 2025 and the Regional Week in Dakar in 2026 brought ENFPs together with EU Delegations and Erasmus+ stakeholders, creating opportunities to exchange experiences, identify common challenges, and establish new connections.
For São Tomé and Príncipe, participation in the Dakar meeting helped the ENFP, Allycinilde Nazaré de Carvalho expand her national stakeholder network. A São Toméan Erasmus+ beneficiary was subsequently invited to contribute a testimonial during the country's first national information session, bringing a local Erasmus+ experience directly to prospective participants.
In Liberia, discussions between the Spanish organisation Mundus and Liberian stakeholders during the Addis Ababa Regional Week opened opportunities to explore cooperation around a future Capacity Building in Vocational Education and Training project.
These examples show how exchanges within the regional network translate into practical actions at national level.
Growing National Networks Around Erasmus+
The network is also expanding beyond the ENFPs themselves.
In Lesotho and Uganda, ENFPs have established national Erasmus+ Alumni Networks, bringing former beneficiaries into outreach and mentoring activities. Through testimonials and peer engagement, alumni can provide prospective applicants with local examples of Erasmus+ participation while helping extend awareness of the Programme.
ENFP activities in countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe and Cabo Verde have also brought together ministries, universities, EU delegations, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders around Erasmus+.
This is creating stronger connections among the different actors involved in international education cooperation at national level.
From Individual Focal Points to a Connected Community
The development of the ENFP network can be seen not only in its geographic reach, but in the way its members increasingly work together.
In summary, ENFPs are moving:
- from working primarily at national level to exchanging expertise across countries
- from one-way information delivery to peer learning and mentoring
- from organising individual activities to building connections between institutions and stakeholders
- from working as individual focal points to participating in a wider regional community.
As Annastasia Sinalumbu, ENFP for Namibia, explains:
“What I like about the Erasmus+ programme is the networking. And with networking comes a lot of ideas. We are not only sending students to Europe; we are building bridges that connect Europe to Africa.”
Her observation also captures an important feature of the ENFP network itself: its value increasingly lies not only in the activities carried out by the network of 42 national focal points, but in the connections, knowledge and cooperation being built between them.
In only a few years, a network covering 42 countries has developed into a community in which experience is increasingly shared across borders, ENFPs support one another, and regional exchange strengthens national Erasmus+ outreach. That growing connectivity is one of the clearest achievements of the ENFP network in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Please log in or sign up to comment.