The rate at which Nigerians travel abroad is highly increasing, and part of this is either to study abroad or to work or to just relocate overseas. But when it come to education abroad, there are several reasons for any Nigerian to want desire to earn a foreign certificate Here are Top 7 Countries Nigerians Go.

Many Nigerian students and parents want to study abroad because they believe overseas education is superior to that of Nigeria and that they benefit more from academic skills; others want to study abroad because of the prestige associated with foreign certificates, and some just for the comfort of a good living abroad.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to study abroad are, habanaija.com brings you 7 countries that you can acquire quality and affordable education abroad.

This post does not indicate that the Nigerian educational system is that inferior or decayed, but everything is dependent on the personal reasons of the potential student.

In no particular Order,

 

1.Ghana

University of Ghana

University of Ghana

Whether you like it or not, Ghana to Nigerians is “abroad” even though it is a neighbouring country accessible by road transport. Their educational system is touted to be among the best in Africa, and they still adhere strictly to the British educational system. Ghana has thousands of “foreign students” (with a great percentage being Nigerians) studying across its universities, and great academic opportunities and amazing cultural lifestyles are open to all students to explore.

There are several Ghanaian universities of repute across the West African country, but some of the notable ones are the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education, and Ghana Technology University College.

2. South Africa

University of south africa

University of south africa

South Africa is yet another African country that has become the favourite of Nigerian students who wish to study outside the country. The cross-cultural environment of South Africa makes it an excellent place for diverse study in the Arts, History, and Science courses. Some of the more reputable universities are the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Rhodes University.

 

3. Canada

University of Canada

University of Canada

Some of the best universities in Canada are the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, McMaster University, University of Waterloo, University of Calgary, Western University, University of Ottawa, Regina University and the University of Victoria among others. All these have their share of foreign students, and they present a conducive environment to make international students feel at home.

Canadian universities and colleges are recognized for high standard for education, variety of program and friendliness to international students. UNESCO reported 2,031 Nigerian students studying in Canada in 2012. According to Ambassador Perry John Calderwood, Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria, more than 6,000 Nigerian students were studying in Canadian universities in 2014. He also said that Nigeria has become the 8th largest source of foreign students in Canada. There are available Scholarships to study in Canada.

 

4. United States

columbia university

columbia university

The US has some of the best schools in the world, with quality education and tons of extra-curricular activities. It’s no doubt why it’s the second country in the list for Nigerian students. In 2014, the United States Embassy noted that 7,318 Nigerian students were studying in more than 700 universities and colleges in the US, at undergraduate and graduate levels. According to Mrs Jennifer Onyeukwu, Head Education USA Advising Centre (EAC), 80 percent of the Nigerian students who left to study in US in 2014 were given partial and full scholarships by the schools. Six students received the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship of $311,140 each annually for 4 years.

4. Malaysia

Open university Malaysia

Open university Malaysia

One of the main factors that have been working well for Malaysian universities is their affordability. It is true that Nigerian students report ill-treatment and racism in that Malaysia, but the truth remains that Nigerians and other foreigners still flock to the country to acquire a certificate. These international students study and also explore the local cultures of the people, engaging in extracurricular activities that make their education well-rounded over there.

Some of the best universities in Malaysia are Open University Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, the International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA.

5. Singapore

singapore

You may want to study at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and SIM University among others if you find yourself as a student in Singapore. The country got independence from Malaysia in 1965 and inherited most of its educational legacy, providing foreign students the conducive environment to study and tap into the rich cultural values of the people.

 

6. Ukraine

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Studying in Ukraine is like studying in Russia. They have a robust educational system and international students profit a great deal from academic and part-time job opportunities that are open to foreign students.

Some of the reputable universities that foreign students can enjoy studying at are Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Karazin University, National Technical University of Ukraine, Donetsk National Medical University, Odessa National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, and Sumy State University.

 

 

7. United Kingdom

Oxford University

Oxford University

UK remains the number one destination for Nigerian students to study abroad. In 2012, there were 17,542 Nigerians studying in UK universities. Mr. Iain Steward, member of the British Parliament, said that about 30,000 Nigerian students would be studying in UK Universities by 2015. This number accounts for 7% of the total UK University population. As a result, there are several UK Scholarships opportunities for Nigerian Students and more scholarships every year.

 

 

Other 5 countries with Nigerian students studying abroad were Hungary, Germany, Australia , Turkey and India as at 2014.

Again the figure presented here may be underreported, but we assume it gives a representation of countries where you can find most Nigerian students.