By Jessica Chidiogo
Why do you think that most Nigerian youths long to study abroad than here in Nigeria? 95% of our youths will close their eyes and grab it in a haste when such opportunity comes, but the problem we do encounter most times are lack of fund and sometimes fraud.
Most times, we aren’t able to achieve this dream of studying abroad because we lack the requisite fund needed to sponsor us outside the country because we often unable to finance visa procurement plus funds to book a flight ticket which is so expensive that its only the rich and few people from the average families can afford it after sales of landed properties or on community scholarships that cover travel cost, let alone adding cost of tuition. Now you see why we often dream about schooling abroad but almost never achieve it.
This is where international scholarships become ultimately important to aid us achieving the desire of school abroad for one or the other. Here are 4 reasons scholarships are so important to students.
Another factor that can hinder one from studying abroad is fraud. Most times, people fall into the hands of fraudsters in the name of obtaining visa. Many have being fooled and duped and don’t have any other way the Money can be refunded.
Another great factor is racism where the country we desire to study is filled with racism. For African-students, a study abroad experience in many foreign countries often lead to an eye-opening experience. ‘Disgusting black shit’ are often the echo of racial encounter.
Here are the main reasons Nigerian students increasingly desire studying abroad.
(i) Ease of securing admission overseas
In Nigeria today, at least 1.9 million candidates (according to JAMB statistics) jostle for admission into the nation’s ivory towers in a bid to study their first choice courses, but most times out of these candidates, only about 40% of them are admitted by the end of the admission year, while the unlucky and sometimes unqualified 60% await admission the next year plus hundreds of outgoing secondary school leavers that are also in line to get into the university.
Also in Nigeria there are series of tests to undergo before you will be deemed qualified to gain admission into the university unlike abroad that you just apply with your high school result and you are given an admission offer of a place at the university for your choice course.
The dubious nature of admission into some of the nation’s universities hasn’t helped either, especially where qualified candidates by set admission standards are increasingly denied admission whereas those with long legs and hands are preferred.
You will find more students seeking out study abroad as a result.
Admission into Nigerian universities; how to gain entry in 2020
(ii) Opportunity to study and work abroad
Overseas, international students can freely work and obtain money and it won’t affect their studies unlike in Nigeria. This is another big problem because some are willing to study abroad and even have the means to start-up but they don’t have the requisite resources to sustain over the course of the academic program and you know in Nigeria it is very tiring and stressful combining schooling and work without negatively affecting your grades in school.
And you know that studying in Nigeria is not easy as an undergraduate, as you need lots of cash to pay for practicals, handouts and textbooks. And if you check, most undergraduates in Nigeria don’t bother to buy textbooks because they have to meet the basic need of feeding first before considering books as most are fending for themselves while majority of others are from poor and middle class homes.
So you see there is a great difference because overseas there are many easy, stress free part-time hourly jobs international students can take up and it won’t affect their studies because they will have enough time for their schooling and have special time for their works where they earn more than enough to take care of all their expenses without parental assistance.
This is the reason some students desiring obtaining an international degree opt for distance learning programs. See this guide on Why you should consider taking a distance learning program
(iii) Practical education
There is no denying the evidence of practical education overseas compared to the gross theoretical education obtainable in Nigeria leading to lack of industrialization and slow economic growth. This is largely due to corruption which has eaten deep into the system and the decadence of the education sector is only feeling the heat.
With funds allocated to education often tempered with and not effectively used for the purpose for which they were allocated, inadequate classrooms, laboratories, workshop and other poor facilities are now a norm in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Overseas, they use resources allocated to education judiciously and deal in more practicals than theory which is why you will see a seven year old kid and he is already an expert in information communication technology (ICT), musical instruments, repairs and coupling, arts, creativity, and many more.
Overseas, they pursue and encourage creativity and competence, whereas in Nigeria where it is a common sight to see a 300 level engineering student quote a text book from the first page to the last without looking at it, yet unable to understand the basics of a moving toy car nor construct anything worthwhile, reason being that here they are trained more on paper than practical.
(iv) Opportunity to study dream course
Studying abroad, especially in advanced western countries like Canada, Australia, India, Cyprus, UK, you are opportune to study your dream course unlike here in Nigeria where jamb is a destiny changer. Simply racking up good grades at o’level directly earns you an admission offer into your desired course of study.
Whether you are aspiring for Accounting, Pharmacy, Medicine and Surgery, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Architecture, Management, or any other course, getting an offer of admission into universities abroad isn’t in your choice course isn’t a struggle. Your good o’level result takes you there.
The opportunity to study their dream course in top destinations renowned for such courses just as India is known for Pharmacy, UK for Medicine, and US for ICT is one difficult to pass off in recent times.
(v) Lure of foreign degree
The prestigious nature of international degrees especially from a Nigerian point of view is as attractive as much as it is lucrative. The higher standard of education obtainable abroad compared to that obtained in Nigeria gives more value to degrees obtain from international universities.
You would agree with me that comparing a graduate of Architecture from a foreign university and a graduate of Architecture from a Nigerian university is like comparing the sun and the moon.
This is not to say Nigerian graduates lack technical-know-how in their discipline, but rather, the reason you can’t compare is largely due to the different kind of education they received. Whereas one acquired a degree in the midst of poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms, incessant strike actions embarked upon by ASUU and other labour unions disrupting academic activities, and unnecessary courses that make up the academic curriculum.
For this reason, one with an international degree from overseas is well respected, given top positions in Nigerian organizations, and earn better. This is responsible for the teeming number of Nigerian scholars seeking to study abroad especially at Masters and PhD level perhaps after so many failed attempts to study abroad at undergraduate level.
The reasons for the increasing number of Nigerians jostling to study abroad whether at undergraduate, masters, or PhD cannot be overemphasized. It is glaring, not to mention that studying abroad will increase your exposure in many ways you never thought and afford you the opportunity to learn other international cultures and beliefs.
You will learn how to be bold enough to talk and associate freely with locals and foreigners. You will experience a sharp turn in a your critical thinking and speaking skills, as well as enhance your ability to work with others as a team.
Whether you are considering studying abroad or already in advanced stages of preparation, schooling abroad is certainly a shot you should take and right here, we will give you all requisite guide plus scholarship.
As much as studying abroad is amazing especially putting several factors into consideration, it also comes with it’s troubles, although not surmountable if you are determined. You might like to see some of the challenges facing international students studying abroad.
I hope you liked this article. If you desire to ask a question or share your thoughts, please leave a comment below.
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Maxwell is a Dietitian with passion for showing people hope. With nearly a decade experience helping people make key decisions on education and career, you can find him almost everywhere on this site. From answering admission and scholarship questions to creating tutorials and helping others live their best lives though nutrition. Connect with me on Twitter.
Nice one jessica chidiogo