EduTimes Africa: Briefly tell us what has changed between the time you were given an admission to the university in 2022; what student life is like based on your experience and your post-graduation experience now. What has been the impact of the new immigration policy?
Raji Bamidele: International students are in the United Kingdom to study. Consequently, international students are restricted on things they can do and cannot do. It is even more challenging if you want to support yourself financially and you want to work. International students are restricted to working for a maximum of just twenty hours a week. Also, in the UK the cost of living is on the increase. Inflation has started creeping in. The war between Ukraine and Russia has also affected the United Kingdom. All these are issues that international students have to contend with, aside from the fact that they must also study hard. That is if they are even lucky enough to get a twenty hours a week job. So, it is not easy for many foreign students. When you compare the money you brought from Nigeria to what you need to use it for here, it is never going to be enough. Especially with the comparatively high cost of living here. But then, Nigerians are very resilient, strong, and hardworking people. We always find a way to cope, no matter the situation.
Because the Nigerian society places so much value on those who have had the ‘UK experience’ that tends to keep many of the students here going despite the hardship, oftentimes. The belief is that a UK degree will give one an edge in the Nigerian job market. I chose to be different by having a decent UK working experience too. I know a lot of other students and graduates who are doing all sorts of things to garner the ‘UK experience’.
EduTimes Africa: Is there any significant difference between the number of Nigerian students given admission with you, and the number given admission for the 2024-2025 session?
Raji Bamidele: Truth is that the Brexit action taken by the UK and the Ukraine- Russia war have really affected the country, especially the population in the UK. Therefore, the government took the option of bringing in international students from China, India, and Nigeria especially. So students were given juicy offers to motivate them to come over. Such as the opportunity to come with their family members and a two years post study opportunity to work. But an average Nigerian looking to study in the UK is someone who is already of working age in Nigeria. This automatically means a significant size of those who constitute the Nigerian economy traveling out. The majority are adults with family members, which makes it easy for them to choose the option of traveling to the UK, so they can take their family members along. However, many things have changed now and the new policies are affecting international students. The imminent general elections in the country are also playing a part. These changes are dramatically affecting university admissions presently.
In 2022, more than two thousand Nigerian students were given admission. In 2023, the number of admissions were just slightly less, but the numbers for the 2024-2025 admission were drastically reduced. And the situation is the same at all the universities in the UK.
A lot of them are now looking at ways to boost the numbers. Unfortunately, the primary attractive policy, which allowed students to come with their family is no longer there. It has been reversed, thus discouraging many people who would have loved to come to get that UK degree as well as getting the UK working experience which would put them at an advantage. Because the juicy offers are no longer available, many have chosen to use the scarce resources to invest in their country and have decided to stay back in Nigeria.
EduTimes Africa: Has Hull University been supportive of international students, especially concerning the payment of school fees? And other areas too.
Raji Bamidele: As far as the University of Hull is concerned, payment of fees has been made quite easy. They support students once the students are able to pay the deposit from their country. Students are expected to pay two other tranches at different times.
Once the deposit is paid, the university supports the visa application process and other processes to make it smooth. Unfortunately, the forex challenge that Nigeria is experiencing now, has made it difficult for Nigerian students to meet up.
In 2022, it was much easier as the exchange rate was roughly N500 to 1 British pound then. Now it’s about N1,900 to one British Pound! This is almost times 4! So it has become extremely difficult for many interested Nigerians to gather enough resources to pay the fees.
In 2022 when I resumed, there were many ways in which students received some sort of support so things wouldn’t be too overwhelming. This made it easier for international students to cope. For instance, many international students faced challenges because of the very different academic style and system that is practiced here. The area of academic misconduct was a huge one and the university offered support to students with this through the student union. We held a session on academic misconduct to support students. Out of about three thousand five hundred international students that gained admission that year, Nigerians students were about two thousand. I personally interacted with about five hundred students, promoting the event to them on a daily basis. However, less than fifty students actually attended the session. Students were not showing enough interest despite the offer of support. Aside from this, the university offers support in so many areas too. For example, it gives students the opportunity to defend themselves and air their views on any issue of concern. Many times too, the university gives international students money to go and learn referencing, fully aware that they may need some assistance with it. Even regarding the cost of living, the university also does its bit to support students, but of course, there is always room for improvement. We in the Student Union would meet the Vice Chancellor on a monthly basis to represent the students and to be their voice, and we had a regular meeting with the university council too. This was all in a bid to protect
the interest of international students.
In recent times, a number of UK universities have started coming out to talk about their financial challenges. The University of York, Lincoln University and Sheffield Alam University, to name just a few. The University of Hull however, has not made any official pronouncement for now, on how they may be affected or how they propose to solve any challenge they may have.
EduTimes Africa: What do you think the Nigerian government can do to improve the educational system? And how do you think the large number of Nigerian students running to the UK and other countries is impacting Nigeria presently and may impact its future?
Raji Bamidele: I will say that the Nigerian government has a lot to do.
The large number of Nigerians studying abroad is actually a blessing. Look at India for example. In the past ten years they have been appointed CEOs of major international corporations more than ever before. India embraces foreign education and is inclined towards it.
In the UK for example, the Indians have created a community. Indians own many organizations and you see them in different businesses. When the present British Prime Minister was sworn in, one of the earliest actions he took was to sign a bilateral agreement with India. It was a smart move. This is the sort of thing that the Nigerian government should also be looking at. They should discuss with the UK government and highlight the fact that a huge number of Nigerians are in the UK doing great things. They should then ask the British government what the UK has to offer Nigeria in exchange for the many skilled and highly educated Nigerians in the UK. Nigerians are some of the smartest people in the world and this is enough reason for any foreign government to be interested in the Nigerians in their country and for the Nigerian government to gain something from having so many Nigerians in the diaspora. Billions of pounds and dollars are remitted into the Nigerian economy annually. So our government should be interested in this. The government of Nigeria needs to invest more to better the education system. Education in Nigeria is one of the cheapest in the world. Even in Uganda, education there is very expensive. Therefore, the government must do a lot more to ensure the education sector receives adequate investment. If making education cheap or free is no longer possible, if the focus is on quality education, then the government must introduce the right policies that will produce the desired result.
Edu Times Africa: What advice would you like to give Nigerian students planning to study in the United Kingdom?
Raji Bamidele: I will encourage anybody who has the resources to invest in getting a UK education. They should not give up. Those already here in the UK also should not give up. Even though the system here is not as beautiful as expected, but beautiful changes take time, especially if you are a foreigner. Nevertheless, be rest assured that things will work out in the end, despite the challenges. As a Nigerian, I know how much knowledge, experience and skills I have gained now. I know where I was in Nigeria, and where I am now. I have a lot added to me now. I am now a resource. No matter the challenge that any foreign student is facing, they should just cope and learn from the challenges. They will grow with it. The system will definitely pay. Those that just graduated should not give up. They have come this far and have seen a lot that they can leverage on and build on to become a better person.
Education is still one of the greatest legacies that anyone can have. So take it when you have that opportunity. Make great use of it to make an impact and be a blessing. Use it in such a way that it will solve problems and not add to existing problems.
_________________________ Fatoki Taiye Timmy is an innovative social development and human rights specialist with 15+ years experience in the development sector and with special focus on the West Africa Region. Has a strong track record of delivering technical support in educational programmes, highly competent in capacity development, institutional reforms, child rights and protection, youth development, and gender issues. He is a high achiever with goal-bound, time-conscious, strategic planning and good interpersonal relations. Has presented a number of papers including a paper on promoting the girl child’s access to education which was presented at the 2008 Bill and Melinda Gates International Youth Conference. Also presented ‘Youth Shadow Report on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria’, a United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) 2008 Shadow Report with four other people. Skilled in project management, gender issues, child protection, youth development, community engagement, policy development, advocacy and lobbying, capacity, organizational development and mental health crisis management. He is a board member of three NGOs in Nigeria, two of which he is the chairman -Aspilos Foundation and Value Reorientation for Community Enhancement (VARCE). @lagbenjo (tweeter) Fatoki Taiye Timmy (Lagbaja) Facebook Taiye Timmy Fatoki (LinkedIn) Lagbajadon (Instagram).
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.