The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says no fewer than 99,985 Nigerians left the country to study at universities in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2017 and 2022.
The minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 University of Lagos International Week on Monday. He was quoting data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), an organisation that collects, analyses, and disseminates quantitative information about higher education in the UK.
“Every year, over 100 Nigerian students benefit from the scholarship for postgraduate and PhD degrees, I speak from students personally; we have hundreds of professionals and entrepreneurs leaving our shores to break new grounds across our lands.
And on our part, we must ensure that we play our part in the actualisation of their dreams. They carry our identity, one which not only aids their pursuit but also defines them. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), reports have shown that about 99,985 Nigerian students left this country to enrol in universities in the United Kingdom between 2017 and 2022.”
While many may contend that the majority of these students have simply ‘JAPA’ for other reasons, we cannot also deny the fact that a larger chunk of these students has left with the purest of intent to seek further knowledge for self-advancement.
Now, in going all through this, therefore, I may want to ask, why our students should now s¥ffer to acquire international passports, even when they have paid for them. Their pursuit of breaking new grounds across borders, is one which gives us great joy as through our children, we sustain the future,” he said.
The minister said the ministry of interior has commenced the automation of the end-to-end passport application process to aid Nigerian students seeking foreign universities’ admission.
“By implication, Nigerians will not need to wait longer than two weeks before they get their passport,” he said. “By January next year, Nigerians will be able to complete this application process online. And by February next year, with collaboration and partnership with other relevant stakeholders, Nigerians will have their passport delivered to their homes, offices and other locations of their choice.”
Tunji-Ojo said the technology would also be deployed to the visa application process to make it as seamless as possible. He said his office has set everything into motion to open 12 more visa application centres across the world.
“In this regard, we are also working on strengthening our visa-on- arrival policy,” he said. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enforce the principle of reciprocity and a committee has
been set up in the ministry to achieve this.”
