In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for international education by Nigerian students. Nigeria is currently experiencing what could be considered the largest migration of the country’s youthful population for studies abroad.
Post-COVID years have marked a massive exodus of students from Nigeria to countries abroad for education. Courses in STEM, Business and Management have recorded the highest number of international students. Though Canada, the UK, and the US have been top study destinations for Nigerian students in past years, Ireland and Australia have just recently joined the list of English-speaking countries for students to explore international education outside West Africa.
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Factors Contributing to International Education Demand
Multiple factors contribute to the Nigerian student’s interest in international education. Rising economic instability, underfunding of tertiary institutions and the problem of insecurity are driving forces for this international education demand by Nigerian youths. For many of these students, international education is considered a huge investment with post-study work options or permanent residency as its reward. Through seeking quality education, Nigerian students are motivated to study abroad because they see it as a pathway to building the future they desire.
With international education costing a fortune, the devaluation of the naira in recent years has made many students and their sponsors reconsider their ability to finance their studies abroad. Affordable tuition and flexible payment plans are now top priorities for self-funding students. On the other hand, students who do not have the resources to fund their study plans consider scholarships from universities, the government or other organizations. Student loans have become an increasingly popular source of funding for students who cannot qualify for scholarships and cannot sponsor their international education.
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Nigeria’s youthful population and booming international student market should prompt destination countries to encourage more students by eliminating existing barriers to study and providing aids and incentives for prospective students. Like many international students across the world, Nigerian students consider several factors before deciding on a study destination. These factors may include the cost of tuition, ease of processing student visas, acceptance rate, and employment opportunities during and after studies.
International students have preferred the UK and Canada as study abroad destinations as a result of their straightforward application process and available pathway programs for students. This has been leverage for them to attract potential students and motivate them to join the existing community of international students. To encourage Nigerian youths to pursue their study abroad dream, countries like Ireland and Australia have followed the path of the UK and Canada in modifying existing rules to allow international students to explore part-time employment while studying and also enjoy post-study work benefits. These attempts, as well as other incentives like scholarships and ease of processing student visas, have contributed to the growing number of students leaving Nigeria for international education.
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Prospective students looking to study abroad should know that while international education is great, this journey is not without its challenges. These challenges could come before or after they have travelled for their studies. Dealing with culture shock, financing living expenses and any outstanding cost of study, realizing the limits of part-time work and balancing school life with work are some of the struggles international students face.
