United States has embarked on its first education trade mission to the continent, with 25 universities and colleges. Student recruitment and building partnerships with universities are the goals of the visits to South Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The mission started in Johannesburg with a Career Indaba Education Fair attended by 16,000 South African students on 7 March 2016. Many universities offered scholarship opportunities. Then they were off to Ghana, the second largest sender of students to the US, for the USA Higher Education Student Fair on 10 March. Two universities announced scholarships for for qualified students at the fair. The delegation is headed to the Ivory Coast this week. 

Among the universities represented were: University of Arizona; University of California, Irvine; University of California, San Diego; California State University; University of Delaware; University of Florida, Gainesville; Huston-Tillotson University; Indiana University; Loyola University; University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; Maryville University; McNeese State University; Michigan State University; Murray State University; Northern Kentucky University; Schiller International University; West Virginia University; and Wheeling Jesuit University. There were also colleges from across America.

Quick statistics: 

• The number of Ghanaians studying in America increased by 6.3% last year
• More than 3,100 Ghanaian students are spread among 600 universities and colleges in all 50 American states
• In 2014-15 there were some 9,500 Nigerian students in US colleges and universities, up by 20% on the year before, and Nigeria has one of the fastest growing student populations there.
• More than 2,300 Americans earning credit at Ghanaian universities last year
• The Ghana government spent about 20 million Ghana Cedis (US$5 million) last year to provide support to Ghanaian students studying abroad.