The number of Nigerian students studying in the United States has experienced a significant increase despite the growing foreign exchange (FX) scarcity in Nigeria. According to data from the new Open Doors Report published by the Washington-based Institute of International Education, there has been a 37.17% rise in the number of Nigerian students for the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year.
The 2022/2023 academic session saw a rise in the number of Nigerian students studying in the United States, reaching 17,640. This marks a 37.17% increase from the 12,860 students in the 2020/2021 session and a 22.18% increase from the 14,438 students in the 2021/2022 session.
The total number of international students in the US rose to 1.06 million in the academic year, indicating a 12% increase from the previous year. Among these, 50,199 students were from sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigerians constitute 35.14% of the total population of sub-Saharan African students in the US. However, it is important to note that international students account for only 5.6% of the total student enrollment in the US, which stood at 18.96 million in the 2022/2023 session.
The surge in the migration of Nigerian students to the US comes amidst a forex scarcity crisis in Nigeria. Many experts attribute this exodus to the challenging economic conditions in the country. The state of the economy, especially for the middle class, has led more people to seek opportunities abroad.
According to a NewsNow report, Nigerians spent about $1.01 billion on foreign education in 2022, marking a 40.36% increase from the $720.05 million spent in 2021.