Nigerians studying in the US have increased by 3,200, reaching a record high of 17,600 students
Since 2001, the 2022/23 academic year has recorded the highest number of Nigerians studying in US' higher institutions, adding 3,202 students to the previous academic year to reach 17,640. This represents the biggest addition in the time period.
Petitions peaked in 2022, with 474,301 filed, but only 442,043 approved, marking the widest gap in the five-year period.
2021 was unique, as approvals (407,071) actually exceeded the number of petitions filed (398,269), reflecting carryovers or adjustments from prior years.
2023 saw the lowest filings and approvals, at just under 387,000 each, signalling reduced demand or stricter caps.
By 2024, filings rebounded to over 427,000, but approvals lagged at 399,402, continuing the trend of more petitions being filed than granted.
Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.
