The United States (U.S.) Deputy Chief of Mission to Nigeria, Ms Maria Brewer, says 9,500 Nigerians are now studying at more than 730 colleges and universities in the North American country.
Brewer stated this at the Pre-Departure Orientation for the new students held on Thursday in Abuja.
“Compared to the previous school year, nearly 20 per cent more Nigerians are enrolled at a U.S. college or university.
“This rise fuelled almost single-handedly, Africa’s overall student number increase of eight per cent.
“Nigeria is top African source country and the 15th nation worldwide with students in the US.”
Brewer said that the U.S. Mission’s EducationUSA Advising Centres had helped thousands of young Nigerians achieve their dreams to study in the U.S.
“This year alone, advisees received numerous scholarships from several universities totalling of over $4.6 million.
“According to that latest Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, Nigeria experienced a remarkable increase in the number of students pursuing higher education in the US”. she said
She said that the Education USA programme’s success was a testament to the value in American education, describing it a “highly coveted US export”.
“I urge you to be ambassadors for Nigeria and to take seriously your responsibilities to be good citizens and scholars.”
Responding, one of the participants, Oludare Victor, a post-graduate of Federal University of Technology Minna, said he got admission into Tuft University to pursue his Ph.D programme.
“I am going to study electrical and computer engineering.
“ My major is control and robotics that is my research interest in my PhD.
“I am coming back to Nigeria to become a lecturer, so that I can get students to work on problem related to industries automated, we need robot.”
In her contribution, another student, Simisola Afolayan, from Zamani College Kaduna, said she got her scholarship because of her involvement in community projects.
“I am on 89 per cent scholarship to study Economics with dual major in Journalism at the PEN University.
“Academically speaking, I try to distinguish myself as much as I could while I was in school, I have eight ‘As’ in WAEC and I think over the years I have been overly interested and active in community service”.
