» "Why Nigerian Tertiary Institutions Are Not Attracting International Students" «

Apart from the fact that our institutions are rated low
among the countries of world institutions, it is also fast
falling from low standard to a lower standard. So, base on
my personal point of view, I am presenting to you 'why
Nigeria tertiary institutions are not attracting international
students'. Hopeful the consign body will see this few points
and try to adjust.
1. THE NEED TO SCRAP SOME EXAMINATION BODY: The
reason behind these exam bodies is to provide qualify
individual for our institutions but you will not expect a
foreigners applying to Nigeria tertiary institutions to come
down to Nigeria and get their JAMB or WAEC form, after
which they will come back to our country to write the
exam. Even if we want to go in the way of JAMB/NECO/
WAEC etc, why can't the body provide international centre
(s)? Like SAT, TOEFL, GRE etc. In a sane country, each
university has her own way of screening students before
admitting them, the selection are largely base on essays or
something else. After which the admitted students would
be screened using entrance examination (in some case).
2. REMOVAL OF SELF/GOVERNMENT INTEREST : Nigeria
Government (both state and federal) /school bodies
increase school fee in a bid to favouring their sole interest,
students then respond to the hike in school fee by shutting
down the school all in name of aluta. No sane International
students will want to study in country that will turn four
years course to seven years. They need not come to
Nigeria to know how Nigeria Tertiary Institutions strike
(even much more than football strikers, like 'Delima
Ronaldo, Di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo etc'). I read a post on
facebook about a lecturer selling an 'Uncooked textbook',
why will international students apply to a school that their
students are made to pay for books they will use in
preparing for examination and later being told that the book
is under construction (when it is not house- courtesy
'Uncooked book writer').
3. GOVERNMENT SHOULD FUND OUR INSTITUTIONS :
Imagine a scenario where we have less than 300 tertiary
institutions and they are ill funded by our Government while
the United states of America has more than that and they
are well funded. Our schools hostel is nothing to write
home about, walls are not well plastered, no proper water
supply (students subscribe to other forms of water supply)
and the toilets are not in good shape. I saw a picture of
the university of Ghana hostel and I could not help but
weep for my dear country, the hostels were well furnished
that commenter(s) mistook it for an hotel. I won't expect
international students to apply to schools with little or no
good infrastructure.
4. INSTITUTIONS NEED TO CREATE INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS PORTAL : I Have gone through almost twenty
Nigeria universities websites and non seem to have portal
for undergraduate international students to apply. Tertiary
institutions in our neighbouring countries like Ghana has
portal for international students, also not forgetting other
african countries like South Africa, Mauritius etc. Have our
institutions lost the hope that our system could attract
international students? I think it is high time our
institutions created international students' portal on their
websites to attract foreigners. International students' portal
do not only attracts foreign students but also attracts
foreign scholarship partners, imagine MasterCard
foundation partnering with institutions in Ghana, Kenya and
South african for a fully funded program in any field of
study to young, brilliant and exceptional african but
financially disadvantage, leaving the so called giant of
Africa institutions.
NB: Points in this write-up are strictly base on my
personal view and I think it is the true reflection of our
educational system. Though, our educational system is
synonymous to self development and most students from
this system are always independent. The fact that we are
going or have gone through this system has contributed to
who we are today.