The United States of America on Monday released the 2022 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, which showed that Nigeria topped the list of countries that sends students to the US.
The report also highlighted an increase of 12.3 percent in the Nigerian student population for the 2021/2022 academic year.
This, according to the North Americans “represents a total of 14,438 Nigerian students, which is 33 percent of all African students studying in the United States.”
The new Open Door Report indicates that Nigeria remains the leading source of students from Africa and the 10th largest country worldwide sending international students to the United States.
Providing insight into the report, the US Embassy in Abuja said in a statement to mark International Education Week that “New international student enrollment in the United States has rebounded and increased by 80 percent, raising the total number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions by 4 percent.”
It explained that Nigerian students in the country “primarily study at the graduate level, with the remaining 31 percent enrolled in undergraduate studies, 17 percent pursuing optional practical training, and 2 percent in non-degree programs or short-term studies.”
The report equally highlighted the impact of international students migration to the US, stating that it has created a rebound for the American educational system.
It explained that the “strong rebound and growth confirms that the United States remains the destination of choice in higher education, with over 948,000 international students.
“International students are returning to in-person studies in the United States, with 90 percent of all enrolled students attending in-person classes.
The return to campuses allows international students to build life-long connections with American peers, increase collaboration within and across fields of study, and grow America’s international partnerships to address current and global challenges.”
The Open Doors report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Recall that strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had shut down public universities in the country, with more than 200,000 students forced to stay at home.
The strike is reportedly one of the longest in the country in recent times.
The lecturers demanded among others, more government investment in public universities to bring them to world-class standards.
