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.
China continued to lead globally with the highest number of international scholars in the US, with almost 21% of the international scholars as of 2023/2024.
China has been the lead country with the highest number of scholars in the US globally in the last 24 years.
India is next after China, with 17,735 scholars in US who hailed from India making up 15.8% of the population.
Only 1% of the scholars in the US are from Nigeria
Seychelles holds Africa’s strongest passport, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 destinations, and ranks 24th worldwide.
Mauritius follows closely, with a passport index score of 149 and a strong global rank of 27th.
South Africa leads mainland Africa, ranking 48th globally with access to 103 countries.
Southern African countries dominate Africa’s top 10, with Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho all securing higher index scores than East and North African nations.
Africa’s passport strength varies widely, but island nations lead the way.
Gabon imposes Africa’s highest international air travel tax at $297.70, followed closely by Sierra Leone at $294 and Nigeria at $180.
Libya charges the lowest air travel tax among the listed African countries at just $1.30, with other low-cost countries including Malawi ($5.00), Lesotho ($5.70), and Algeria ($9.80).
All of the 10 most expensive countries charge over $100 in departure taxes, suggesting a trend of high levies among a subset of African nations.
The gap between the highest and lowest air travel taxes in Africa exceeds $296, revealing significant disparities in passenger costs across the continent.
