Market Intelligence Brief - Nigeria 2023

Nigeria is one of the world’s most populous countries, having the highest population in Africa as well as the continent’s largest economy. The country has a youthful and growing population and has seen significant economic progress over the last couple of decades, although per-capita incomes are still low by international standards. Nigeria’s booming youth population has caused capacity issues in its domestic education system, with a lack of places throughout its schooling and higher education systems along with concerns over the quality of education facilities and teacher training.

These capacity and quality constraints have led to a large number of Nigerian students pursuing higher education qualifications abroad, and Nigeria is one of the world’s top sending countries for international students. The UK and US have traditionally been the preferred destinations for Nigerian students, and recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Nigerian students coming to the UK, especially since the reintroduction of the UK’s Graduate Route. However Nigerian students have also shown increasing interest in alternative destinations, including other Sub-Saharan African countries as well as China.

This 27-page report gives an overview of the Nigerian education system and the country's wider demographic, economic and political context, with a focus on international education trends in the country - including both student mobility and transnational education. It aims to provide useful information to UK education institutions and other UK stakeholders considering partnerships with Nigerian counterparts and to support further cooperation and engagement between the UK and Nigeria.