If you want to study abroad from Nigeria, there is a critical decision you have to make before almost everything else, that is choosing your country of study. There are so many great places to study abroad from Nigeria in 2021, but choosing the one that best suits you and your educational needs is crucial if you want to succeed.
Nigerian students often travel abroad to further their education, usually because of the higher standard of education abroad. They also travel abroad to study because admission slots available into higher institutions here are limited. Every year millions of students apply to Nigerian universities, but only a small percentage of them get admission.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: STUDY ABROAD: 5 THINGS EVERY STUDENT MUST DO BEFORE TRAVELLING
While planning to study abroad, put into consideration that every country has its own laws and customs, as such, visa applications for each country might differ and other requirements might differ also. There are also other factors you should put into consideration before planning a trip abroad.
Let’s take a look at some of these factors.
How do you know this is the best place to study abroad for you? Here’s how, first you consider your budget, then your course of study, climate condition, the people’s customs, and the aim or objective you wish to achieve.
You will often need a hefty budget to travel abroad, add that to the cost of schooling/feeding/accommodation abroad. The cost of studying abroad is on the expensive side, although it is dependent on the country of your choice. Most people choose their place of study based on the budget-at-hand.
African countries such as Ghana, Sudan, and the Benin Republic are known for their cheap fees. Students from Nigeria flock to these countries for that reason.
The next most important factor that will determine which country you should go to is the courses they have. Consider, do they offer the course I want to study? Do they have the expertise to teach the course I need? Do their schools have the necessary resources to teach that course? And so on.
Some courses are very rare, and you will have to go to a specific country if you want to study it, because they are probably the only ones equipped to teach it. And some courses like medicine, are best learned in certain countries because they happen to have all the necessary skills and resources to teach medical courses.
Sometimes, you don’t want to stray far away from your people’s customs, so you may want to find a place that has similar or the same traditional inclinations to where you left.
It helps make you feel comfortable even when you are far from home, and it helps you quickly adjust to the rigors of moving and living in a new country.
For instance, Hausa people in Nigeria will probably feel more at home studying abroad in Arab countries such as the UAE because of being from the same religion and sharing similar customs. Whereas all Nigerian students regardless of culture, will feel welcome in Ghana, mostly because of similarities in our socio-economic status and race.
What is your aim and objective of wanting to study abroad? You should choose a place to study abroad based on the fact that they can help you fulfill your objective.
Here are five top countries to study abroad if you are a student from Nigeria, who is considering studying abroad.
Studying in the U.S is a dream of a lifetime for many students, as they have state-of-the-art equipment and their educational standard is pretty high.
For Nigerians, it is easily one of the best places to study abroad in the world. Nigeria happens to be the number one source of African students in the US.
Also, students love the fact that they have a variety of courses to choose from. The U.S boasts hundreds of courses, from the sciences to the arts, you can find them all here.
One other advantage of studying in the U.S is that its certificate is recognized and respected almost anywhere in the world, it is carried with much regard because of the standard of education in the country. For this reason, a person has better job prospects if they studied in the United States of America.
Canada is a very large country neighbouring the U.S., they share a border. According to many sources, Canada beats the US and UK as the top study destination for students from all around the world.
It is a first-world country with the latest teaching resources and educational technology. It is popular for engineering and medical courses. Some of the engineering courses include civil engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, and mechanical engineering.
Due to its student-friendly nature, Canada is the destination of a mass exodus of students from Nigeria recently, who are trying to study and begin working in Canada.
The first thing that comes to mind when Germany is mentioned is probably cars, which is appropriate considering Germany is home to many of the top car brands in the world; BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, etc. Germany has the knowledge and expertise to create those spectacular machines, and they are willing to share it with the world.
German universities are open to Nigerians who qualify. In fact, all universities in Germany accept international students, unlike in other countries where there could be some restrictions.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are universities and courses in Germany that international students can study in English, you don’t need to know German to attend.
The UK or United Kingdom is one of the oldest places of modern knowledge in the world, and as expected of such a place, it has some of the most prestigious schools with some of the highest standards of education.
The UK is where the University of Oxford is located, and where you can find the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of Sussex. And it is one of the most Nigeria-friendly destinations for studying abroad. At any given time, there are thousands of Nigerians studying in the UK, (about 10,000 to be precise).
A big advantage because here, you can interact with your fellow countrymen.
When it comes to studying not far from home, with a similar culture to Nigeria, Ghana would be a great choice. Ghana is a prosperous West-African country, it used to be called the Gold Coast.
In fact, the most popular university in Ghana is named University of Gold Coast. But perhaps the biggest advantage of studying in Ghana from Nigeria is the fees, you will save a lot because studying in Ghana is cheap compared to studying in other places abroad.
And because of our shared interests, such as both our countries being part of ECOWAS, you can use Nigerian senior secondary certificates to gain admission into universities in Ghana, without having to sit for extra international exams like TOEFL or IELTS. The same goes for Nigeria, the certificate of completion of studies in Ghana is well-recognized and accepted in this country.