Market News

Once one of the fastest-growing sources of international students in the United States, Nigeria has experienced a significant decline, with enrollment dropping by over 25 per cent in the 2023/24 academic year amid tightened visa conditions.

According to travel.state.gov, a US Department of State report, the number of Nigerian students who got their academic and vocational (F1 and M1) visas approved from October 2022 to September 2023 Fiscal Year (FY) was 7,528.

From October 2023 to September 2024 Fiscal Year (FY), the report indicates a drop in the number of applicants whose F1 and M1 were approved to 5,679, which amounts to over 25 percent fall.

BusinessDay gathered that from 2026, Nigerians, South Africans, Kenyans, Egyptians, Moroccans, Ethiopians, and several other African nationals will face higher application fees, stricter documentation requirements, and longer processing times under a new US travel visa regime.

The revised programme, announced by the US government, comes in response to rising visa demand across Africa and growing security concerns.

Following the prevailing US travel restrictions and visa hurdles, many Nigerian students are increasingly looking beyond America towards Europe for international education.

Olubunmi Apologun, a Nigerian student in the United Kingdom, explained that beyond the travel restrictions, issues such as rising costs, strict immigration policies, and the desire for post-study work opportunities, among others, are pushing many towards European destinations.

Many Nigerian students are going to countries that offer them clearer pathways to permanent residency, such as Germany, Finland, or other European Union countries.

Nigerian students’ interest in the US dropped by over 50 percent since the expansion of Donald Trump’s travel ban, with European destinations benefiting most as students turn elsewhere.

Search interest in America among Nigerians dropped immediately following the announcement of the US travel ban in December 2025, with levels more than half of what they were during a high point in August last year, according to Keystone Education Group data.

“We continue to see audiences responding very quickly to actions and announcements from the US government, and Nigeria is no exception,” said Mark Bennett, Keystone’s VP of research and insight.

“These announcements don’t discourage Nigerians from studying abroad, but they will prompt them to look for opportunities elsewhere. Crucially, that doesn’t have to mean elsewhere in the big four,” added Bennett.

European destinations absorb the most Nigerian student interest, pivoting away from the US, with France and Italy seeing search growth of 40 percent and 33 percent respectively, during the same period.

China has also seen a 17 percent boost in interest from Nigerian students, while interest in Australia grew by 21 percent.

The high cost of education in the US, combined with the depreciation of the naira, makes European higher education institutions with low or no tuition more attractive.

Students are favouring European nations with lower tuition and higher affordability, such as France (40 percent surge in interest), Italy (33 percent surge), Belgium, and Germany.

However, tertiary institutions in the USA remain a top destination for affluent Nigerian families, while the wider student demographic is swiftly seeking alternatives in Europe, Canada, and China.

In the face of the new development, many Nigerian students are finding it difficult to obtain student visas recently.

Peter Bahago, a Nigerian student who pursued his international studies, speaking on the choice of Europe, said, “I have no regret about travelling to Europe, the UK in particular, to further my education.

Most, if not all, universities in Europe, the UK in particular, provide options for students to work part-time while studying, helping them gain work experience and support themselves financially.”

“Suffice it to say that only scholarly work can burrow deep to unearth the benefits international students enjoy from studying in Europe.”