709 international students attended Nigerian universities in the last six years.
Data from the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja on Sunday showed that 709 international students were admitted to Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and other higher education institutions between the academic sessions of 2017 and 2023, despite obstacles like frequent strikes, inadequate infrastructure, and unfavorable learning environments. This took place in the context of the growing number of Nigerian students going overseas for higher education.
A breakdown of admissions by academic session revealed that 127 international students were accepted in 2017–2018, 110 in 2018–2019, 161 in 2019–2020, 197 in 2020–2021, 78 in 2021–2022, and 36 in 2022–2023. A source inside the ministry said that industrial strike activities by unions headquartered in tertiary institutions, including ASUU, SSANU, and ASUP, were to blame for the notable decline in admissions for the 2021–2022 session.
Six sixteen international students were admitted altogether; sixty-four were enrolled in polytechnics, and twenty-nine were in colleges of education. The data revealed that a significant proportion of international students were accepted into programs in business administration, accounting, pharmacy, political science, mass communications, computer science, medicine and surgery, network and security systems, and international studies, among other fields.
A closer look at the data revealed that there were differences in the academic subjects that the admitted overseas students preferred. In particular, 40 students selected Network and Security Systems, 35 selected Computer Science, 35 selected Medicine and Surgery, 25 selected Business Administration, 20 selected Accounting, 20 selected Pharmacy, 18 selected Political Science, 17 selected Mass Communications, 16 selected Economics, 15 selected International Studies, 14 selected Computer Engineering, 14 selected Physiology, 12 selected Civil Engineering, 12 selected English Education, 12 selected Electronics Engineering, 12 selected History, and International Studies, 11 selected Electrical Engineering, 11 selected Philosophy, 10 selected Health Education, 9 selected French, 9 selected Microbiology, 8 for Architecture, 8 for Biochemistry, 8 for Business Education, 8 for Psychology, and 7 selected Anatomy.
Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, Director of Programs at Reform Education Nigeria, highlighted a historical tendency in his discussion of the draw of foreign students to Nigerian universities by mentioning a period in the institution’s history when there was a notable influx of foreign instructors and students. He pointed out that the petition included visiting academic members from other countries in addition to students.
The historical pattern of foreign students, specifically at the University of Ibadan, was underscored by Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, the Director of Programs at Reform Education Nigeria. Oluwatoyin emphasized the imperative for the Nigerian government to enhance the higher education infrastructure in order to attract a greater number of international students. The speaker emphasized the importance of tackling concerns such as strikes and cultivating a favorable perception of Nigerian higher education institutions on a global scale. This would serve to augment their attractiveness to international students, thereby yielding economic advantages for the nation.
in his words:
“The University of Ibadan used to have a huge influx of foreigners in those days. Not just students, we had foreign professors who would even come as visiting professors.”The same way Nigerians go to other countries to get an education is the same way the government can also attract foreigners to our institutions.“The government needs to build our higher institutions. The higher education sector in Nigeria has a negative image in the global space. The word ASUU has now become a nightmare. You go to foreign news outlets like BBC, CNN, and Aljazeera and the only news you hear about Nigerian higher institutions are strikes, and sex for grades, among others. The higher education sector needs to be revised. We also need to retain our citizens. When we retain them, then more foreigners can troop in, which automatically translates to more forex for us as a country.”
Credit: Allschoolabs, ALLSCHOOL
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