There is a contradiction there, and one that is hard to understand, except that international student movement is subject to political influence and, as the public mood shifts with respect to immigration levels, governments may feel compelled to adopt more restrictive policies.

But lurking behind that ebb and flow of political tides is another contradiction: most study destinations are motivated to build international enrolment, at least in part, to help address skills gaps and shortages in their domestic labour markets. In other words, most destinations are not only competing for international students; they are engaged in a global competition for talent.

The Danish twist

Denmark offers an example of a destination that recently moved to limit inbound student numbers, and is now quickly walking that decision back.

It was only in 2021 that the Danish government decided to dramatically reduce the number of university places available in English-taught programmes. The thinking at the time was that the move would reduce costs and make higher education more accessible for Danish students.

Under pressure from employers and industry groups, such as the Danish Chamber of Commerce, the government signalled a sharp U-turn on that policy a few months ago with Education Minister Christina Egelund saying in October 2023 that, “We should be grateful when foreign young people want to study in Denmark.”

In early 2023, the government agreed that 1,100 new places could be opened for foreign students in English-medium programmes each year from 2024 through 2028, and a further 2,500 places per year from 2029 onward. Minister Egelund feels there should be more still.

“We are seeing a new era,” she said in an interview with Danish newspaper . “When I sat down to examine the numbers [concerning demographic trends, and shrinking cohorts of young people], it was a wake-up call.”

“We are not ruling out the opening up of the higher education sector [for foreign students] in another way compared to what we are doing today,” the minister added. “We are now at a point where we should be thankful every time a younger person from another place in the world looks towards Denmark. Our need is huge, and the competition for the qualified young and qualified workforce is hard.”

The minister’s comments come on the heels of forecasts indicating that Danish economy may need another 130,000 workers to address shortfalls across a variety of fields and economic sectors. A recent report from indicates that Denmark’s strategy for international education will emphasise domestic labour market needs going forward, and that actual enrolment targets are still a matter of negotiation among political parties and other stakeholders.

For additional background, please see:

• “Demand for study abroad in Australia, Canada, UK already affected by new international education policies“
• “Notable government policy shifts affecting international students going into 2024“

The post Lessons from Denmark: The downside of limiting international student flows appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

About the survey

The survey was conducted by , a platform designed to support international students in Germany, while is an organisation that helps international students to network and adjust to German culture.

Students from roughly 93 countries participated in the survey; most of them were studying for master’s degrees (67%). The survey was a follow-up to one conducted in 2020 and was larger than its predecessor, with 31% more student respondents. Responses were collected from August to October 2021 and reported in “”

Why do students choose Germany?

Surveyed students chose Germany primarily because of the country’s no-tuition-fees policy for all students in higher education (45%); employment opportunities were the next-most influential factor (18%), especially for Mexican and Brazilian respondents.

Most students who intend to stay will look for jobs

Of the more than half of students with intentions to stay in Germany, most planned to look for job opportunities (38%) or to pursue further education in the country (15%). The preferred duration of time to remain in Germany was “more than 6 years” (27%), followed by 4–6 years (19%) and 2–4 years (18%), suggesting that permanent residency is on the mind of many international students in Germany.

Language and social challenges are an issue

More than a quarter of surveyed students said that language difficulties had been challenging for them, and nearly as many said they had experienced challenges in meeting new friends and in finding accommodation. Feeling socially isolated may be especially pronounced among Indonesian, South Korean, Taiwanese, Pakistani, and Chinese students: more than 50% in those segments said they had felt, at least at one point, the desire to go back to their home country. Among Chinese students, this proportion rose to 70%.

Many students were concerned enough about not being able to communicate well enough that they saw it as an obstacle to remaining in the country after graduating. Nearly half (47%) said that language barriers could pose a problem, suggesting that their concerns about language proficiency may be going unaddressed throughout their study journey.

More competition in 2021 than in 2020

The survey also found that Germany was facing more competition for international students in 2021 than in 2020, especially from the US and Canada. Results showed that the Netherlands, France, and Spain are increasingly competitive outside of traditional leading destinations.

Improving language and social supports should be a priority

The survey report notes that, “Enabling internationals with a German degree to stay in the country is highly relevant for Germany’s economy, as it mitigates the current skilled workers’ shortage.” To that point, Tim Meyer, the co-founder of Expatrio, said:

“We are glad that Germany is increasingly popular among international students worldwide and that Expatrio is a part of an ecosystem supporting them. A diverse and inclusive society increases the population’s quality of life. Policymakers should minimise bureaucratic hurdles and language barriers while fostering digitisation within the authorities.”

Germany has fared relatively well in weathering the pandemic in terms of international student enrolments. The total number of international students in German universities grew slightly in 2020/21 and German higher education institutions are reporting both a rise in total international student numbers and an increase in new international enrolments for the winter semester of 2021/22.

For additional background, please see:

• “Germany: International enrolments for winter 2022 much better than expected”
• “Foreign enrolment in German higher education edged upward in 2020/21”
• “Agent survey highlights important demand factors for study abroad into 2022”
   
   

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We have all heard about the changing demographics, increased domestic higher education capacity, and political factors contributing to the slowing of Chinese outbound travel to Western destinations. Many institutions are also reporting recruitment challenges in the form of Chinese families’ reluctance to send their children abroad in the pandemic. But as David Weeks, chief operating officer at Sunrise International Education (a company specialising in media, localisation, and programming for the Chinese market), said at the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) annual conference late last year, China remains an “indispensable recruitment market.”

This is partly because of its size and substantial population of affluent middle-class families, and also because, as Mr Weeks noted, “Chinese students still want to study abroad because of the many disadvantages of China’s domestic university system.”

A 2021 report from market research firm Bonard and Beijing Overseas-Study Service Association (BOSSA) concurs with Mr Weeks: “A common question is, ‘Has the current situation affected Chinese students’ desire to study abroad and has the pandemic led to any shift in favoured destinations?’ Our answer is [that] the desire for study abroad isn’t going anywhere. As a matter of fact, it will stay on an upward slope.”

The report cautions, however, that “the secondary education market, summer camps, and short-term programmes abroad are taking major hits.” While the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that the Chinese government is planning to “build ‘a mechanism’” to dissuade Chinese children from going abroad for education, the fact remains that the competition for school places in China is so fierce that demand for overseas study will remain, especially after pandemic-related travel restrictions ease. As the SCMP notes, “In major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, fewer than 60% of junior high school students are admitted to a senior high school.”

As for higher education, Mr Weeks told the AIRC audience that the following fundamentals ensure China remains fertile ground for recruiting:

• 130 cities have populations exceeding one million;
• The middle class is growing fast, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities;
• The secondary school system is massive, with more than half a million students in international K–12 schools;
• China’s economy is rebounding from the pandemic-related contraction in 2020.

“No next China” to fall back on

In a June 2021 article in Times Higher Education, the British Council’s Matt Durnin argues that for most institutions, the Chinese market remains essential despite the country’s more challenging recruitment environment. Institutions can and should diversify for a number of reasons, but as Mr Durnin says, “There is no ‘next China,’” in terms of the market fundamentals required for sheer outbound numbers. India might eventually prove as fruitful, but not until its development and economic growth improve substantially.

Mr Durnin acknowledges that recruiting in China may feel “sluggish” at the moment – but only in the short term: “Over the medium to longer term … we are likely to return to the pre-pandemic trend line.” His advice to institutions is to “make a clearer case for their return on investment, particularly in terms of employability. This will mean investment in career services and links to Chinese employers.”

Ten ideas for recruiting in China right now

1. Nurture your network of schools, agents, and alumni

Tight pandemic border restrictions mean that travelling to China is virtually impossible at the moment. Increase communications, provide more resources, and if possible, offer more incentives. Sending alumni and/or in-country representatives to well-attended college fairs as representatives is a great idea, as peer-to-peer influence remains strong.

2. Enlist the help of satisfied current students

Testimonials are powerful tools to break through to Chinese prospects considering an increasingly wide range of destinations and institutions. Locate students whose experience with your school has been positive even in the pandemic, and ask them to share their perspective with families in China.

This could be crucial given the many Chinese parents who have indicated in global surveys that they are especially worried about their children’s safety or the possibility of discrimination or racism in study abroad destinations.

Current students can also play a role in your online webinars for Chinese prospects and their parents. Many parents won’t be at all fluent in English, and your students can speak to them or can translate into Mandarin.

3. Adapt online content for China

At the AIRC annual conference last year, Sunrise’s Gavin Newton Tanzer, a co-presenter with Mr Weeks, reported results from research that looked at 2,000 websites whose primary audience was Chinese consumers. Of those websites, “94% were blocked in China or had long time page load, virtually none had any content localisation for China whereas 89% were not optimised for search engines in China.”

Consider this: Google commands just 2.3% of the Chinese search engine market. For your website to even be found in China means you have to invest in being discoverable on Baidu (over 75% of the Chinese search engine market) and on Sogou (15% of the market but the leader in China’s booming voice-activated search market).

Educations.com advises, “Don’t forget to search your own website and competitor’s websites in … Baidu, to ensure you are representing your university with trusted, high-ranking sites.” If you don’t have a landing page specifically for Chinese prospects that is translated into Mandarin, it’s more than time to create one. Ideally, work with a website localisation company with expertise in the Chinese market so that you can reflect cultural nuances and preferences and avoid translation mistakes.

4. Consider more targeted recruiting

Competition is especially fierce for Chinese enrolments in business administration and STEM programmes, but those aren’t the only programmes for which there is demand. A survey by BOSSA, for example, found that there is now more interest in arts and design as well as in education than there was five years ago, and the Center for China and Globalization has also reported more demand for these programmes.

5. Align your career services with the job market in China

Many Chinese students studying abroad want to go home after graduating to find a job in their own economy – China’s Ministry of Education says that 80% of all Chinese graduates returned home after their studies abroad between 2016 and 2019. Work on establishing links with successful Chinese companies and ideally work with them to create practicum and internship opportunities for returning students. Once you do, make sure to broadcast these linkages far and wide: Chinese students and families are ever more interested in the ROI of a foreign degree.

6. Invest in video marketing

Video-only sites such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili are huge in China.

7. Monitor your social media

You probably have a presence on social media sites such as WeChat and Weibo – but just being there isn’t enough. Monitoring the conversations and results on those channels should be a priority for your international marketing team. With all your digital marketing, ask agents for their feedback. They know better than anyone what their students are influenced by and what does and doesn’t work.

8. Consider smaller cities

Generally speaking, there is less competition in recruiting Chinese students in smaller cities with rising numbers of middle-class families. McKinsey & Company has predicted that Tier 3 cities will host 31% of China’s middle class in 2022, while Deloitte research concludes that lower-tier cities “represent significant opportunity for success thanks to their population size, increasing personal wealth, low levels of brand loyalty, and a healthy appetite for new products,” as well as increasing Internet penetration in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities.

9. Investigate the entire customer journey

Carefully consider the perspective of Chinese families evaluating different foreign institutions. Many institutions think they are translating enough content into Mandarin to be effective – but they may not be. Global research consultancy CSA has found that global websites commonly localise only 5–15% of their content to “top-tier” languages such as Mandarin. The analysts say that this can lead to businesses losing up to 80% of their total addressable market at some point along the customer journey. Strikingly, nearly one-half (48%) of the more than 8,700 people they surveyed said they leave a website when they encounter a problem related to insufficiently localised content. The rest “look for support from the provider, a friend or colleague, or online search, social media, or video platform.” Thinking of the journey from enquiry to application to enrolment – and all the customer support needed at each stage of the journey – how much of your content is available in Mandarin for Chinese families?

10. Check your mobile performance

As Educations.com puts it, “In the Chinese market, your website performance on mobile will make-or-break your campaigns. Make sure to double-check your translated pages for mobile, and closely monitor your Google Analytics data on China by device for bounce-rate and conversion.”

The bottom line

Recruiting successfully in China today requires more sophistication than in the past, because much of the opportunity lies in identifying new markets and student segments within the country. Many smaller cities hold promise and offer less competition than the major metropolises do. Students in these cities have unique circumstances, needs, challenges, and priorities – they should not be approached using one broad brush stroke. Identifying excellent agents and partner schools with a presence in target cities is essential for gaining the local understanding required to achieve good results.

For additional background, please see:

• “Closer to home: Intra-regional mobility in Asia“
• “Slowing in Chinese commencements for most major study destinations“
• “Chinese study destinations and post-study plans changing this year“

The post China: The opportunity remains appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The Australian government continues to signal that the country’s universities should not expect a large-scale return of international students until 2022. Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge told a press conference in April 2021 that,

“With the vaccine rollout under way, I am increasingly hopeful that student arrivals in larger numbers will occur by semester one of next year.”

But for Australia’s international education community, next year feels incredibly far away. Universities – and all institutions that host international students, from VET to ELICOS to schools – are dealing with massive losses in the form of student enrolments, revenues, and staff jobs as a result of the country’s closed borders. For example:

• Australian universities have enrolled 210,000 fewer international students in 2021 than would normally be expected. Looking just at January, only 360 international students arrived in Australia – compared with 91,250 who arrived in January 2020.
• University revenues fell by AUS$1.8 billion (US$1.4 billion) compared with 2019, and another AUS$2 billion loss is projected for 2021.
• More than 17,000 jobs have been lost across the industry.
• Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment data show that nearly 164,000 of Australia’s visa-holding international students remained stranded overseas as of January 2021 because of the country’s closed borders.

What will recovery look like?

There is growing unease about the extent of the expected “recovery” for the sector in 2022. Though Mr. Tudge says the government is “looking forward to welcoming back international students who remain overseas,” he has also cautioned that there will be a different ethos in place when borders reopen. He told the conference that,

“ … [it is necessary to] rethink the on-campus business model of international education, and more broadly the international education strategy for the nation as a whole …by using international student fees to fund research, universities have undermined the learning experience of domestic students and failed to address skills shortages.”

He said that Australia’s educators should invest more in online methods of delivery in the future rather than relying on international students studying on Australian campuses. Mr Tudge even hinted at a willingness to rely less on international students’ vast contribution to the Australian economy:

“This incredible growth [of international enrolments] has been good for our economy, but even before COVID hit, strains were appearing and the continued rate of growth of on-campus enrolments was not sustainable in my view.”

He told ,

“International students have been good for our country in terms of revenue they’ve provided – in terms of the individuals which stay on and become great citizens and in terms of the relationships with other countries – but at the end of the day, the purpose of our public universities is to teach Australian students, and we shouldn’t forget that.”

Last week, the government announced “more than AUS$53 million of targeted support for international education providers most affected by COVID-19 border closures.” Notably, the intention of the funds – which are to be directed to ELICOS providers and private universities – is to “encourage providers to refocus their business models on Australian students and expand online and offshore course offerings.”

Decline will cost billions

is predicting that as a result of continued border closures, international students’ contribution to Australian economy could almost halve “from a high of more than AUS$40 billion in 2019 to an estimated AUS$22 billion by the end of this year – .” Peter Hurley, a policy analyst at the Institute, warns that even if some international students are able to return this year, it will likely not stave off a significant decline in the years to come:

“Even if the government did open the border or try to find temporary quarantine arrangements, it may not be enough to stop the decline.”

Martin Foo, S&P Global Ratings’ Asia-Pacific associate director for sovereign and international public finance said in a that going forward, the proportion of international students on Australian campuses could dip to less than 10%, a far cry from the proportions found on many campuses pre-COVID when international students accounted for roughly one in four higher education enrolments.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019, international student numbers grew by 12.6%, 11.4%, and 10%, respectively. There were more than 758,000 international students enrolled in 2019, making Australia the world’s second-most popular destination for international students after the US.

Mr Foo speculated that any transition to lower international enrolments “would be very sharp and painful … we suspect we’d see a lot more job losses than the 17,000 that occurred last year.” His colleague Anthony Walker observed that economic losses would stretch – and are currently stretching – far beyond Australia’s international education sector. “Hospitality, cafés, restaurants – anything that relies on international student traffic is suffering at the moment.”

Students appeal to government

More than 10,000 international students signed a petition in January urging the government to exempt students from Australia’s border restrictions. The petition read,

“International students are willing to quarantine, obey any rules and pay all the fees. We are willing to quarantine in student apartments and will not take any stranded Australians’ places. Please allow international students, who do not have online lessons and urgently need to enter Australia to study, to go back to their schools and continue their education on a voluntary basis.”

Agencies are having trouble holding on

Australia’s educators are perhaps the most dependent in the world on agents to drive international enrolments, with more than three-quarters of international students coming into the country through agents. The International Student Education Agents Association (ISEAA) warned in March that agencies are reporting that COVID has “eroded 60 %of their business.” Board member Michal Sestak predicts that 60–70% of agencies could close and notes,

“The longer this goes, the less recruitment channels we’re going to have when the borders open. That will have a direct impact on the time required to regain [students] after COVID.”

Further pilots for safe student arrival?

Mr Tudge has repeatedly said that the federal government is open to proposals from state governments and educators about how small groups of students could return to Australia, but he says he has yet to see any such proposals. International Education Association of Australia chair Phil Honeywood says that “NSW, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory have all advanced their plans” but that “Victoria is still at the drawing board stage” when it comes to presenting strategies for the safe return of international students.

In Victoria, frustrated educators are offering to help pay for returning students’ quarantine. A group of universities are proposing that once or twice every month, roughly 1,000 international students be flown into Melbourne. Upon their arrival, students would be placed into “special hotel lockdown arrangements” that the universities would partly fund. Chinese and Indian students are a priority given how large their proportions are in the international student population, but the COVID crisis unfolding in India right now to bring Indian students in any time soon.

Approved quarantine strategies are one thing – and inbound flights are another. Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said recently that if the federal government won’t approve such flights, there’s no way international students will be able to return:

“If you don’t get that from the federal government then it doesn’t matter what other ideas, whether it’s the City of Melbourne, SA, NSW or ourselves, doesn’t matter what idea you have to deliver it, if you can’t get people [students] on the flights, it’s a no-goer.”

Numerous pilots to return international students have been strategised . So far, one flight carrying international students has landed in Australia during COVID. Sixty-three international students from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia arrived in Darwin last November.

For additional background, please see:

• “Agents report growing demand for study in the US, Canada, and the UK in 2021”
• “Latest data release measures pandemic’s impact on Australia’s ELICOS sector in 2020”
• “Australia: Growing frustration at continued border closures for international students”

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Egypt

Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, and its economy grew by more than 5% in 2018. One in five Egyptians is aged 15–24, and fully a third of them are unemployed. Of those who are unemployed, 34% hold degrees.

Most university-bound students attend one of Egypt’s 24 free public institutions, while students who achieve lower grades in high school tend to enrol in one of the country’s 23 private institutions. Many graduates do not find jobs matching their skill level.

With a higher education crisis looming, the government passed legislation in 2018 that allows international branch campuses to operate in the country. As well as offering domestic students a better future, Egypt hopes to become a Middle Eastern education hub through this new strategy.

Given Egypt’s massive youth population, however, even a significant expansion of the domestic higher education sector will not accommodate enough students. The number of Egyptian students going abroad for higher education has nearly tripled in the past decade, from 12,300 in 2008 to at least 32,000 today, and this growth trend will almost certainly continue.

Roughly a third of Egyptian students are studying in Saudi Arabia or the UAE. The US is third, with just under 3,600 Egyptian students as of March 2019. While Egyptian enrolments in US institutions have been relatively flat, enrolments have increased by 78% in Canada over the past five years and now number around 2,500. Other top destinations include France, Malaysia, and the UK, each with roughly 2,000 Egyptian students in 2017/18.

Location

Northeast Africa, bordering Israel, Libya, and Sudan

Demographics

• Population: 101 million
• Population growth rate: 2%
• Population aged 15–24: 19%
• Population under 25: 52%
• Youth unemployment: 34%
• Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
• Religions: Muslim (90%), Christian (10%)

Keys to the market

Colleges and universities establishing a presence in Egypt would do well to focus on linkages with the private sector to connect students to the real needs of the marketplace. SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) are major sources of employment in Egypt, and therefore programmes fostering entrepreneurship and innovation are much needed.

Ghana

A democracy that consistently ranks in the top three countries in Africa for freedom of speech and of the press, Ghana is a peaceful oasis in a region often plagued by unrest. Its economy is growing steadily; 2019 is expected to be the third year of GDP growth exceeding 6%.

However, there is inadequate economic diversification. Many jobs in the country’s dominant agricultural and resource extraction industries require little formal skills training, and youth unemployment is disproportionately high among those with some higher education. A dearth of job opportunities at home motivates Ghanaian prospects to look carefully at post-graduate work and immigration policies in destination countries. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that three-quarters of Ghanaians would emigrate if they had “the means and opportunity.”

With Ghanaian universities able to accommodate only around 20% of those who apply, and given quality issues in the private education sector, demand for study abroad is increasing sharply. UNESCO counted 12,560 Ghanaians studying abroad in 2017, up 40% from 8,965 in 2012. This is a conservative estimate, given that there are at least 7,000 studying in China alone.

While Ghanaians traditionally favoured the US and the UK as destinations, they are now considering a much wider range of study abroad options. Australia, Canada, China, South Africa, and Ukraine have carved out strong positions in the market. China is offering thousands of scholarships per year to Ghanaian students, and Germany, Japan, and Russia are also notable for their incentives.

Location

West Africa, bordering Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo

Demographics

• Population: 30 million
• Population growth rate: 2%
• Population aged 15–24: 19%
• Population under 25: 57%
• Youth unemployment: 14%
• Languages: English (official and language of instruction), Akan, and Hausa (among Muslims)
• Religions: Christian (71%), Muslim (17%)

Keys to the market

Twenty-two accredited agencies are recognised by the Government of Ghana. As Michael Aidoo, the CEO and executive director of the Accra-based agency CELC International, explains, “In Ghana, you have to be a registered agency. You must register with the Ghana Education Service. Not only that, you should be a registered company in Ghana. That is the most important thing.”

Kenya

Kenya boasts one of the most diversified economies in Africa; agriculture and resource industries remain the most important sectors, but manufacturing, technology, tourism, and financial services are also well developed. The economy grew by 5.7% in 2018 and is expected to take a similar track in 2019.

The British Council projects that Kenya will have a population of 5.7 million college-aged students by 2024. These students hold the promise of meeting Kenya’s goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2030, but at present, its education system does not equip enough of these students with skills the country needs. Kenya’s higher education system has expanded rapidly in recent years thanks in large part to the entry of several private universities and polytechnics. But there are persistent quality concerns and government funding has been declining.

UNESCO estimates that 14,000 Kenyans are studying abroad, and the US, Australia, the UK, and South Africa host the bulk of them. That said, Kenyan outbound study has been essentially flat for several years. Partly this is because many Kenyans no longer see the value in higher education and need to find jobs as soon as possible. Demand is growing substantially for skills training. China is now a major player in providing vocational education in-country, with many graduates of programmes going on to find jobs in China-owned, Kenya-based companies.

This is a market ripe for some of the disruptive innovations transforming post-secondary education, such as short-term vocational training and micro-credentials.

Location

East Africa, on the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Demographics

• Population: 52 million
• Population growth rate: 2%
• Population aged 15–24: 20%
• Population under 25: 59%
• Youth unemployment: 19%
• Languages: English and Swahili (official and language of instruction), Hausa (among Muslims)
• Religions: Christian (83%), Muslim (11%), small Hindu and Sikh minorities

Keys to the market

Quality vocational education is in demand in information technology, accounting and project management, geology, engineering, pipe fitting, welding, drilling, and operation and maintenance of equipment used in resource extraction. Partnerships with corporations to deliver skills training could be promising, and Kenyans will see value in educators that can match them with employers.

Nigeria

Nigeria’s domestic higher education system simply can’t educate the number of young people applying for spaces. According to Nigeria’s National Universities Commission, between 2012 and 2017 fewer than 20% of applicants to Nigerian universities gained admission, leaving 6.3 million qualified students without a place. One in five Nigerians is aged 15–24, and this is the fundamental reason that Nigeria will be one of the fastest growing markets for study abroad for the foreseeable future.

UNESCO estimates that there are around 90,000 Nigerians studying abroad today.

The country shook off a two-year recession in 2017 and returned to modest growth of 1.9% in 2018. While the government has endeavoured to make the economy less dependent on oil and gas, diversification is happening slowly and jobs outside natural resource extraction and agriculture are scarce: nearly a quarter of Nigerians were unemployed in 2018 and many more were underemployed. Boko Haram’s terrorism continues to plague the country and widens the divide between the poorer North and more affluent South. Basic infrastructure is generally weak, with frequent labour strikes, underfunded hospitals, and electricity shortages.

Many middle-class Nigerian families have a common goal: to start new lives in other countries. For that reason, Nigerian prospects, like Ghanaian ones, tend to look closely at immigration opportunities in destination countries. Top destinations include the US, with 15,980 students in early 2019; Malaysia, with roughly 13,000 in 2019; Canada, with 11,290 in 2018; and the UK, with 10,540 in 2017/18. Ghana and South Africa are popular regional hubs drawing thousands of Nigerians.

Location

West Africa, bordering Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin

Demographics

• Population: 201 million
• Population growth rate: 3%
• Population aged 15–24: 20%
• Population under 25: 62%
• Youth unemployment: 37%
• Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba
• Religions: Muslim (52%), Christian (47%)

Keys to the market

In Nigeria, vocational education retains a stigma; families see practical rather than academic programmes as appropriate only for the lower classes. Yet highly skilled graduates in specific trades are the employees Nigeria most needs. Intelligent branding of vocational education – combatting outdated stereotypes – will be important for colleges recruiting in Nigeria. Nigerians are also frustrated by student visa hassles and will look for destinations where their visa applications are most likely to be accepted.

For additional background, please see:

• “Africa ascending: The demographic juggernaut driving student mobility in the 21st century”
• “Growing Egyptian demand for education pressures domestic capacity”
• “From the field: Recruiting in Ghana”
• “Strengthening Nigerian economy bolsters outlook for study abroad”
• “From the field: Affordability shaping Kenyan outbound trends”

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