These students were demonstrating against just one of the many universities in the UK that are forcing Nigerian students to return home. However, this developing and worsening situation of throwing students off their respective course, and reported to the British Home Office for deportation, is not unique to Teesside University. Many UK universities that had benefitted enormously at the height of the “japa” syndrome are now causing the Home Office to deport Nigerian students after they defaulted in the payment of fees.
Historically, Nigerian students have not been habitual tuition debt defaulters. However, Nigerian students fell on bad times after the unparalleled devaluation of the Nigerian currency by about 300% as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration began in Nigeria about a year ago. The naira values respective students had stashed up from sales of personal or family properties or parental earnings could no longer meet the needs of external obligations for the payment of tuition fees.
The problem of failure to meet debt obligations is not unique to students. As a result of tripled replacement costs or huge naira debts on goods already sold at pre-devaluation prices, businesses are finding it difficult to continue being in existence. Some businesses are negotiating debt reductions or forgiveness from suppliers around the world. Nigeria being largely an importing country has been unable to take advantage of devaluation through huge export quantities resulting from a cheaper naira.
However, the Teesside University situation provides an opportunity to look broadly at the larger picture—the problem of external/foreign education as a material and human drain on Nigeria. The problem of foreign education especially in terms of both material and human resource drain on Nigeria is multifaceted. From significant financial costs, exacerbated by the sustained crippling of the Naira, a disastrous level of brain drain/talent flight, and broader socio-economic impacts. Included in the problems have been the false expectation that foreign education opened up job opportunities and pathway to residency in the countries of study.
Tuition Fees and Living Expenses
Nigerian students studying abroad often pay significantly higher tuition fees compared to local institutions. For instance, in countries like the UK, US, and Canada, international student fees can range from $15,000 to over $50,000 per year, depending on the program and institution. Living expenses, including accommodation, food, and transportation, add to the financial burden. These costs can range from $10,000 to $20,000 annually. These costs, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have resulted into a major financial drain on Nigeria over the years. The CBN’s Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, in a speech to the House of Representatives on February 6, 2024 stated:
Looking at the demand side of the exchange rate, it’s important to note the growing number of Nigerian students studying abroad. In the 1980s and 1990s, the need for US Dollars for their living expenses was minimal. However, recent data shows a significant change. According to UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics, the number of Nigerian students abroad increased from less than 15,000 in 1998 to over 71,000 in 2015. By 2018, this figure had reached 96,702 students, as per the World Bank. Another report projects the number of Nigerian students studying abroad to exceed 100,000 by 2022. Additionally, the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency noted a 64% increase in Nigerian students studying in the country, rising from 13,020 in the 2019/2020 academic session to 21,305 by the 2020/2021 session. Given this data, it’s crucial to highlight that between 2010 and 2020, foreign education expenses amounted to a substantial US$28.65 billion, as per the CBN’s publicly available Balance of Payments Statistics.
On the flip side, the African giant did not attract any form of inflow from foreign students. This is not surprising given the current state of the Nigerian educational system, with university students counting over seven months at home as a result of strike actions.
The Nigerian young populace has tapped into study visas as a perfect formula to “japa” from Nigeria, an expression that is used to represent escaping from the country. Similarly, many Nigerian companies are currently faced with an exodus of resignations, as foreign schools resumed academic activities and both young and old citizens jumped on the leaving train abroad.
Brain Drain and Loss of Talent
Many Nigerian students who study abroad do not return home after their studies. They often seek mean jobs reserved for them and not jobs measuring up to the skills they had acquired. The salaries and improved living conditions are necessary allure, in spite of the fact that most of the earnings go into meeting survival bills, leaving no extras. At times, Nigerian youths embark on homelessness, and eating donated foods at soup kitchens.
This sad situation has resulted into a significant loss of skilled professionals in various fields such as medicine, engineering, IT, banking and finance and even more recently, the academia.
The absence of highly educated and skilled individuals hampers local development. Sectors like healthcare and education face shortages of qualified personnel, affecting service delivery and overall progress.