JAPA” No Threat To Nigeria’s Education System, Says Education Minister

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, the minister said renewed investment in higher education and uninterrupted academic calendars have restored confidence in Nigerian universities and encouraged more students to remain in the country.

Alausa was reacting to reports based on 2023 statistics that ranked Nigeria as the third-largest source of international students globally, behind China and India. The figures indicated that Nigerian students accounted for about five per cent of global outbound student mobility.

The minister described the data as outdated, noting that it reflected a period marked by unstable academic calendars and inadequate investment in tertiary institutions.

According to Ireporter Online, Alausa explained that 2023 was a particularly difficult year for the education sector, with frequent disruptions and limited support for universities, conditions that prompted many students to seek alternatives abroad.

He stated that the Federal Ministry of Education has been monitoring student mobility through its educational support services department and has observed a significant decline in the number of Nigerians applying to foreign institutions.

The minister attributed the shift to improved academic continuity and enhanced quality across local universities, saying students and parents are increasingly choosing Nigerian institutions over overseas options.

Alausa cited the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) programme as evidence of growing trust in local educational pathways. He explained that the programme, comparable to the British A-level system, has become highly sought after by students who might otherwise have travelled abroad.

He also referenced the University of Lagos and other leading institutions, noting that demand for admission now exceeds available spaces in several competitive programmes, including law.

The minister maintained that the quality of education in Nigeria has improved considerably and expressed confidence that comparisons with 2024 and 2025 data would reveal a substantial drop in the number of students leaving the country to study overseas.