The Netherlands embassy has started an education campaign in Nigeria themed “Study in Holland” and the first exhibition will be held on Saturday 10th June 2017 in Lagos. Among other offerings, they claim that they have ‘one of the easiest visa procedures when compared with other countries’, suggesting that Nigerian students “won’t have to go through rigorous process of interview and documentation just because they are going to study abroad”. Full details are published here: http://thenationonlineng.net/netherlands-education-fair-begins-saturday/ and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/study-in-holland-fair-nigeria-tickets-34353....

This highlights the increasing marketing activity of competitor destinations aiming to position themselves as the top choice for international education. The UK still remains the preferred choice for Nigerians but the UK’s position is increasingly threatened by countries advertising lower prices and more attractive visa regimes.

While these competing destinations are mostly targeting digital audiences and residents in Lagos and Abuja, British Council Nigeria has shifted focus to reaching the underserved regions of the country and will be holding another fair in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region this October, following the very successful fair in Calabar in September 2016.