Nigerians made up 6.5% of international students in the United Kingdom as of 2022

In the 2021/2022 academic year, 2.86 million students studied in UK's higher education institutions, with 680k (23.8%) being international students. Nigerians accounted for 44k (6.5%) of overseas students in the UK, trailing China's 151k (22.3%) and India's 126k (18.6%).

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency

Period:

2021 - 2022
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

In 2023, Kiribati took the lead in global educational investment by allocating 16.4% of its budget
Key Takeaways:
  • In 2023, Kiribati spent the largest % of its GDP on education, amounting to 16.39%.
  • Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu each allocated over 10% of their GDP to education.
  • Bolivia and the Solomon Islands each directed around 8.3% of their GDP spending towards education.
  • The top ten countries dedicated approximately 6.6% to 16.4% of their GDP to education.

From 2012 to 2022, Nigeria's government expenditure on education decreased from 0.55% of GDP to 0.35%
Key takeaways:
  • Throughout the decade, Nigeria saw a consistent decline in education funding as a percentage of GDP.
  • The most substantial allocation occurred in 2012 at 0.55% of GDP.
  • The lowest allocation was noted in 2022 at 0.35% of GDP.
  • There was a brief recovery from 2017 to 2018 before the downward trend resumed in 2019.
  • Over the decade, the overall reduction in education spending relative to GDP was approximately 36.5%.
  • Nigeria's education spending as a percentage of GDP is significantly lower than the UNESCO recommendation of 4-6% for developing nations.

Only 9 of 46 sub-Saharan African countries are projected to meet the primary school teacher demand by 2030
  • Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of countries (37) expected to face a teacher shortage at the [primary levels.
  • In Latin America & the Caribbean, 18 countries are expected to have enough primary teachers.
  • Europe & Northern America is one of the best-performing after Latin America & the Caribbean, with 17 countries expected to meet primary teachers' demand.
  • If this trend continues, millions of children will struggle to access quality primary education, reinforcing cycles of poverty and limited economic mobility.
  • A lack of teachers doesn’t just mean fewer classrooms; it also means overburdened educators, lower student engagement, and declining educational outcomes.

Only 30 out of 197 countries are anticipated to have enough secondary school teachers by 2030
  • Sub-Saharan Africa faces the biggest shortage, with 40 countries struggling to fill teaching positions in secondary schools.
  • Europe & Northern America (33 countries) and Latin America & the Caribbean (29 countries) are also at risk, showing that the teacher crisis isn’t just a developing-world issue.
  • Eastern Asia and Central Asia don’t have a single country expected to have enough secondary school teachers, indicating a major educational gap in these regions.
  • The impact of teacher shortages goes beyond education—overcrowded classrooms, exhausted teachers, and declining educational quality will harm future economic and workforce development.
  • Solving this crisis requires urgent action, from better teacher training to improved salaries and working conditions to attract more people to the profession.

Sub-Saharan Africa needs over 15 million more primary and secondary school teachers by 2030 to address teacher shortages
  • Sub-Saharan Africa faces the most severe teacher shortage, needing over 15 million educators by 2030, more than any other region.
  • Southern Asia has the second-highest demand, requiring 7.78 million teachers, highlighting a major education gap in fast-growing economies.
  • Europe & Northern America also need 4.83 million teachers, proving that even developed regions struggle with teacher shortages.
  • South-Eastern Asia (4.54M), Northern Africa & Western Asia (4.26M), and Eastern Asia (3.28M) are all battling significant shortages, showing a global education crisis.
  • Even smaller regions like Oceania (0.28M) and Central Asia (0.75M) require thousands of teachers, emphasising that no region is immune to this issue.
  • If action isn’t taken now, millions of children will face overcrowded classrooms and lower educational quality, potentially stunting economic growth and workforce readiness for future generations.

In 2024, 17% of private university graduates in Nigeria’s top ten earned first-class degrees
In 2024, the top ten universities in Nigeria graduated 3,047 first-class students. Seventeen per cent of private university students in Nigeria earned first-class degrees, compared to 3% in federal/state universities. The University of Benin convocated the most first-class students (385), while the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) had the least, with 122. Covenant University had the highest proportion, with one in five students graduating with a first class.

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved