Nigeria Ranks Third in Global Student Migration
Nigeria has emerged as the third-largest source of international students globally, according to a new report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The UNESCO Higher Education Global Trends Report showed that Nigeria accounted for five per cent of the world’s outbound student mobility in 2023, placing the country behind China and India.
China led the global ranking with 37 per cent of international students studying abroad, while India followed with 29 per cent. Nigeria shared third position with Germany, which also recorded five per cent.
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Other countries listed among the top sources of international students included Viet Nam, Uzbekistan, the United States, France, Pakistan and Nepal.
According to the report, nearly half of all students studying outside their home countries in 2023 came from just 10 nations. UNESCO added that the number of internationally mobile students has continued to increase despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organisation stated that global student mobility rose from 2.5 million in 2002 to 7.3 million in 2023 and projected that the figure could reach nine million by 2030.
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Despite the growth, UNESCO noted that less than three per cent of higher education students worldwide have access to academic mobility opportunities. The report described international education as largely limited to a small group of privileged students.
UNESCO also linked global student migration trends to factors such as economic conditions, the quality of local education systems, visa policies and opportunities available after graduation.
The report further noted that many governments are adopting policies aimed at increasing international education opportunities, with several countries setting targets to expand outbound student mobility.