According to Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, the number of Nigerian Students studying at Universities in the United Kingdom has witnessed a remarkable surge, Increasing from 20,000 to 127,000 within three years.
Montgomery further revealed that out of the 3 million visas issued for International Students and Immigrants in 2022, Nigerians alone accounted for 325,000 Visas.
He clarified that the UK Government’s new Policy on restricting Foreign Student Visas was Implemented to effectively manage the Strain on Social Services caused by the Influx of Scholars.
“We have witnessed a five-fold Increase in the number of Nigerian Students attending UK Universities over the past three years,” Montgomery stated.
“We are thrilled that UK Universities continue to attract the most Talented and exceptional Individuals from Nigeria.”
Highlighting the Statistics for 2022, the Envoy disclosed that the UK granted a total of 3 million new visas across various Categories, Including Students and other Visitors.
Notably, Nigerian Citizens received 325,000 of these Visas, amounting to over 10 percent of the total Visas granted by the UK.
“This emphasizes the strong people-to-people Connections between the UK and Nigeria,” Montgomery added.
“The policy change specifically targets Individuals pursuing non-research Degrees as Undergraduates or participating in one-year Master’s Degree Programs, particularly those who choose to bring their Dependents.”
He further explained that the significant rise in the number of Individuals coming to the UK from all around the world, not limited to Nigeria, has placed a Strain on the Country’s Resources.
