…From 9,355 to 58,887
The number of Nigerian students granted sponsored study visas to the UK has increased by over 100 percent in one year.
According to the UK government, which disclosed this yesterday in a report stating the country’s immigration statistics as of March 2022, Nigeria accounts for 25% of the total number of foreign nationals who are on scholarships in the country.
It stated that within a year — June 2020 to June 2021 — the number of Nigerian students in the UK who received sponsored grants doubled by 125%, with over 11,000 study visas granted within the period under review.
The UK government further said, in June 2020, the number of Nigerian students was 9,066, but by June 2021, the figure rose to 20,427.
As stated in the report, as of March 2020, a total of 9,355 sponsored study visas were granted, but added that by March 2022, the figure had increased to 58,887.
In terms of percentage increase, Nigeria has the third-highest number of nationalities on sponsored visa grants, after China and India, as of March 2022.
