The Federal Government has said the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for studies has dropped significantly, attributing the development to improved standards and uninterrupted academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he dismissed claims that Nigeria was still witnessing a massive wave of students leaving the country for foreign education.
Responding to statistics showing that Nigeria ranked among the countries with the highest outbound student mobility in 2023, Alausa described the figures as outdated and no longer reflective of the current reality.
He explained that the data was generated during a period when the country’s education sector was battling instability, prolonged academic disruptions and inadequate investment in higher institutions.
“That was in 2023 when this administration came in. At the time, there was no academic continuity and the level of investment in tertiary education was poor,” the minister said.
According to him, reforms introduced by the current administration have restored stability to universities and improved confidence in the local education system.
Alausa revealed that records from the ministry’s educational support services department showed a sharp decline in the number of students seeking admission into foreign institutions.
“We have seen a significant drop in the number of students going abroad. Our tertiary institutions are better now and there is academic session continuity,” he said.
The minister cited the increasing popularity of the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board programme as evidence that more students were embracing local alternatives instead of pursuing admission pathways overseas.
He noted that the programme, regarded as Nigeria’s equivalent of the British A-level qualification, had become highly competitive due to rising demand.
Alausa also pointed to institutions such as the University of Lagos, especially its law programme, as examples of schools experiencing overwhelming applications because of renewed confidence in Nigerian universities.
“The quality of education is improving and more students are choosing to remain in the country,” he added.