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…Parents seek local alternatives
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The fear of losing children to Western immoral influences is halting exodus of Nigerians for foreign studies, BusinessDay finding shows.
A number of parents are becoming conscious with the lives of their children beyond just academics.
To an average Nigerian, schooling abroad has always been a symbol of prestige, but the reality of achieving this dream is becoming increasingly elusive, especially with the persistent decline in the value of the naira, the fear of eroding Western immoral influence, surging flight costs, and visa restrictions, among others.
Before now, some Nigerian parents would send their children aged 16 and 17 abroad for studies without having guardians to watch over them in the foreign land, but today, parents are rethinking such a practice for reasons such as students losing their Nigerian values in the face of transgender ideology and other unhealthy lifestyles ravaging the Western world.
Besides, this shift is seen as driven by the volatile exchange rate, which has significantly reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians, as parents who ordinarily would have their children school abroad, are now opting for foreign schools in Nigeria at a lesser cost.
In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s government removed the rate cap in its official foreign exchange market, allowing market forces to determine the actual value of the currency.
The policy gave rise to the devaluation of the naira. In a space of one month after the move, the national currency fell from N471/dollars to N750/dollars and N589.4/British pound to N957.2/pound.
As of January 2025, Nigeria’s currency had jumped to N1, 538.50/dollars and N1, 991.30/pound.
According to a BBC report, the cost of sending children to the UK has soared.
Read also: US government stops Harvard from enrolling foreign students
Visa, flight, and concomitant costs
Beyond surged tuition, families face additional hurdles such as visa issuance, and flight fare surge, among others.
Nigerian students seeking to study abroad face significant visa challenges, including lengthy processing times, high costs, and potential biases in visa approvals.
These challenges can lead to delays in starting studies, financial strain, and even visa rejections, impacting their educational opportunities.
Navigating the intricacies of visa and immigration regulations can be daunting. Students may face bureaucratic hurdles, lengthy processing times, and potential visa rejections.
BusinessDay finding shows that an economy class return ticket from Lagos to most airports in the USA cost between N2.6 million and N4 million, depending on the airline.
Business class tickets on the same route cost between N7.6 and N11.5 million across various airlines.
A Lagos-London economy class return ticket was once sold for as high as N5 million.
Some foreign universities optimising the gap
In the face of the volatile exchange rate, and Nigeria’s failed education system, some universities are establishing their annex in Nigeria.
Universities such as Coventry University, Lancaster University, and Middlesex University, among others operate undergraduate courses in Nigeria.
Coventry University, a public research university located in Coventry, England has established a campus in Lagos, to cater for the growing demand for higher education in the country.
Lancaster University, established a campus in Ghana, but offers degree programmes in Nigeria through its partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Management.
Middlesex University has a campus in Dubai, but offers degree programmes in Nigeria through its partnership with the Lead City University in Ibadan.
Similarly, the University of South Wales established a campus in Dubai, but offers degree programmes in Nigeria through its partnership with the African Leadership College.
Glasgow Caledonian University established a campus in Mauritius, and is offering degree programmes in Nigeria through its partnership with the Lagos State University.
The American University of Nigeria, a private university is located in Yola. The university is affiliated with the American University in Washington, D.C. The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business, engineering, and technology.
Christian Ibekwe, a medical expert believes the fear of Western cultural influence is subjective, because according to a child that is focused will not be corrupted.
“A focused child will not be easily influenced anywhere into doing evil because he is focused and stays focused being goal oriented. It is the lack of vision of purpose that causes Nigeria who go overseas to lose focus and now claim that they are influenced by western culture negatively,” he said.
Ibekwe reiterates that shutting one’s mind off negative Western cultural influences and the determination to stay on one’s goal until it is accomplished is the only way to beat negative influence.
Charles Ogwo
Charles Ogwo, Head, Education Desk at BusinessDay Media is a seasoned proactive journalist with over a decade of reportage experience.
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