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Top 5 Destinations for Nigerian Students Who Plan to Study Abroad

Traveling overseas can be a hard endeavour, but, when you think about the pros of getting a better education abroad and expanding your horizons, it puts the hardships into perspective.

That’s why, throughout the years, Nigerian students have decided to move into countries that offer them more opportunities for better degrees and higher quality of life.

According to our data, the most popular countries for Nigerian students are:

• Canada  

• Germany  

• The United States  

• Norway  

• Finland  

Master's degrees in Canada

There are a lot of advantages for Nigerian students that decide to come and study in Canada. Some of these are:

1. Canada is a prosperous country

Canada is one of the best and safest countries you could study in. As for the job market, it is in continuing growth, with new jobs opening daily, so the chance of you finding employment is incredibly high.

2. Canadians are friendly

There are a lot of preconceptions going around about Canadian people, and, from what we gather, this one is right on the money. All of their descriptions begin with the word “nice”, so homesickness will probably be easier to take when you are surrounded by accommodating people.

3. Canada takes care of its students

Another of Canada’s traits is that its healthcare is one of the best in the world. Seeing how they know how to take care of its people, you will be going into a region where the cult of the individual is celebrated and you will be taken care of.

Universities we recommend in Canada

• The University of Toronto

• Thompson Rivers University

• Edison College

Master's degrees in Germany

The second choice destination for Nigerian students is Germany. There are a lot of reasons to study in Germany, but the most common three are:

1. Germany is highly regulated

It may seem redundant to mention this, but Germany is one of the most organized countries in the world. Considering this, there’s no wonder the laws, the policing and the judicial system are dependable, making the life of an international student an easy and safe one.

2. Germans are warm and friendly

Despite popular belief, German people are quite warm and welcoming towards foreigners, as news about the refugee crisis will tell you. Seeing how they value education, the idea of international students will always impress them, going out of their way to make you feel wanted and accepted.

3. Germany offers free education

Germany’s universities are free of charge, the only costs being administrative (only 100 EUR/year or 200 EUR/year). Also, the majority of Master’s programmes are in English, so it is easy to find a great and perfect degree for you. The most popular subjects in Germany:

Universities we recommend in Germany

• RWTH Aachen University

• University of Bonn

• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Master's degrees in the United States

The United States will forever be associated with “the land of the free”, the world-famous American dream being something a lot of international students aspire to and get to achieve after studying a Master’s degree here.

Some of the most popular reasons Nigerian students go to study in the United States are:

1. The U.S. feels like home

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, almost a million Nigerians immigrated to the United States, making them the largest African immigrant group in the nation. Seeing how large the Nigerian population is, homesickness will be easy to combat and overcome.

2. Some of the most notable Americans are of Nigerian descent

Prize-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo, haematology-oncologist Olufunmilayo Olopade and mathematician Gabriel Oyibo are some of the most prominent Nigerian-Americans that prove the name of “land of all possibilities” is well-deserved.

3. Nigerians are some of the best students in the country

According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, Nigerian students are some of the most well-educated and best students in the U.S. This offers them, almost by default, a high chance of employment and of success.

Universities we recommend in the United States

• Columbia University

• Georgia Institute of Technology

• Wichita State University

Master's degrees in Norway

If you can ignore the cold weather the country offers, you will discover why Norway is one of the favorite destinations for Nigerian students.

From what we can gather, some of the reasons are:

1. Norwegians can be very accommodating

Around the Storgata region, in Oslo, lives one of the greatest communities of Nigerians. Norwegians are very accepting towards the community there, especially towards students and working-people.

2. Norway is a very welcoming country

Don’t expect to meet too many native-Norwegians, seeing how the majority of the residents are foreigners. Considering the way they greet students and outsiders, there’s no wonder people choose Norway as their choice destination for their international study experience.

3. All Norwegians speak English

Enter any restaurant, shop or grocery store in Norway, you will find someone who speaks English fluently and who will accommodate you.

Universities we recommend in Norway

• Norwegian University of Science and Technology

• BI Norwegian Business School

• University of Stavanger

Master's degrees in Finland

Coming behind Norway, another Northern-European country, Finland is the fifth choice destination for Nigerian students who wish to study abroad. The main reasons students seek an international experience here are:

1. Students can get a job, even if they don’t speak the language

Even if it would be a bit difficult to get a professional job due to lack of experience, international students can easily land part-time jobs, especially in the greater cities of Finland, like Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, Jyväskylä, etc.

2. Finland offers some of the best living conditions

Although the climate is rather cold, the living conditions and the overall high standard of life will more than make up for the low temperature. With great accommodation for students, the international experience will be one you won’t forget.

3. The international experience will be felt tenfold

Finland is one of the top destinations for international students, so there are high chances that you will be surrounded by all types of cultures and peoples.

Universities we recommend in Finland

• University of Jyväskylä

• Aalto University

• LUT University

Other student destinations for Nigerian students 

The above country options are by no means exclusive. There are plenty of other countries where Nigerian students choose to study. Some of them are the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands.