By Emmanuel Nduka
Recent data released by Studyportals, an Eindhoven-based company in the Netherlands, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are gradually forcing many Nigerians students abroad to abandon their education.
According to the report, interest of Nigerian students in studying abroad rose dramatically between 2021 and 2023 but began dropping, with a significant decline noticeable at the end of last year and through the first months of 2024.
Studyportals detailed that the decrease began in March 2024, particularly in courses such as business management and applied science.
The decline has affected Nigerians, particularly in the UK, who cannot continue their education due to Tinubu’s directive on the nation’s foreign exchange markets, consequently allowing market forces to determine the exchange rate.
The implication of the devaluation of the naira means students would have to pay more to access forex to pay their tuition and continue their education.
The situation mostly affected UK universities and colleges, which have relied greatly on Nigeria for overall international enrollment growth, even though the country had also introduced a new policy.
A recent British policy which went into effect in January this year, prevents the family members of international students, except those in postgraduate research-oriented programmes, from entering the UK on a sponsored study visa.
As of last year, Nigeria was the third largest market for the UK, followed by China and India. However, sponsored study applications to the country decreased by 44 per cent in the first three months of 2024.
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Studyportals data showed that Nigerians’ demand for the UK is down more than it is for other destinations, and it notes the impact of policy on this trend.
It also linked the decrease in enrollment to UK varsities to the British government’s policy banning dependent visas and the announcement of a review of post-graduation work visas.
“This, combined with the economic struggles that Nigeria is currently facing, has made it quite difficult for Nigerian students to consider studying in the UK, which can be seen in the 76 per cent decrease in visa issuances that have been noted in January 2024,” the study concluded.
