Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has said the number of Nigerian students seeking education abroad is dropping sharply, attributing the trend to improved stability in the country’s academic calendar and increased investment in local institutions.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday night, the minister maintained that reforms in the education sector are beginning to yield results.
He argued that Nigerian universities are now more attractive and capable of meeting students’ academic needs without the need to travel overseas.
He stated that government funding and interventions in tertiary education have strengthened learning conditions across campuses.
According to him, steady academic calendars and reduced disruptions have played a major role in discouraging students from seeking admission abroad.
“There’s a precipitous drop in the number of students going to study outside Nigeria. Our tertiary education is better now; we have academic session continuity, and we are investing so much,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that he recently rejected a ₦650 million proposal that would have sponsored about 60 students to Morocco. He explained that the courses involved are already available in Nigerian institutions, insisting that such funds should be redirected locally.
However, available international education data paints a different picture. UNESCO figures indicate that the number of Nigerian students abroad has nearly doubled in recent years, rising by about 98 percent to approximately 142,000 by the 2023/2024 academic cycle.
The United States and United Kingdom remain top destinations, with steady increases recorded despite government claims of improved local capacity.
Education analysts link the trend more to economic pressure than academic confidence. The sharp depreciation of the naira, which has fallen from around ₦400 to over ₦1,500 to the dollar in recent years, has made foreign education significantly more expensive for many families.
At the same time, Nigerian universities continue to face challenges including periodic strikes, infrastructure gaps, and global ranking concerns.
Consequently, these realities continue to push students abroad, even as government officials highlight reforms at home.