Nigeria is a large country located in the western part of Africa. Has a huge population. As of 2020, according to UN estimates, the number of citizens living on its territory exceeded 210 million people. With such a large population, the sector of the population is not well established. For a long time, Nigeria was a British colony, so initially, the secondary education system was built following the example of the metropolis. And even after receiving the right to independence in 1960, the very basis of the educational system remained the same. However, over time, with the development of science and social trends, the availability and quality of education are growing, albeit at an insignificant pace.

Structure of education

Despite the huge population, only about half of them can read and write. However, according to statistics, 47% of children attend preschool institutions, and 85% receive secondary education. The problem lies in the unstable political situation that covered the country a few years ago. Extremist groups have terrorized schools, forcing the government to reduce the number of teachers.

Children are sent to a preschool at the age of 3, and education ends at the age of 6. Together with other subjects, English and one of the local languages ​​are studied, depending on the location of the educational institution. School education is divided into three stages:

Primary school education. It starts at age 6 and ends at age 11.

Secondary schooling. Children from 11 years old to 14 years old study here.

Senior school education. From 14 years old to 18 years old.

Schools teach academic subjects, including exact sciences, languages, history, culture, and other subjects. Some difficulty is caused by the heterogeneity of the Nigerian population. Firstly, there are more than 500 different local languages ​​​​in the country (despite the fact that English is the unifying language), and secondly, cultures differ in different parts of the country. Therefore, if a foreign citizen decides to send the child to school, it is necessary to carefully approach this issue, since there may be misunderstandings not only with the administration but also with the surrounding children.

High school education implies the diversification of subjects. This means that a teenager has the right to choose from the school curriculum which of them he wants to study more. There are 6 core subjects and 2-3 additional ones.

Upon graduation, the graduate receives a certificate of complete secondary education. With him, he has the right to enter the university. However, only 1% of the country's population does this, in absolute numbers, it is 150-200 thousand people every year. Therefore, higher education in Nigeria is underdeveloped. This affects the economy in the future.

Universities in Nigeria

In Nigeria, all higher education institutions are divided into traditional and highly specialized. The traditional ones include 16 federal and 8 state universities. Here they study traditional exact and humanitarian sciences. Highly specialized universities include 5 federal and 4 state polytechnic universities, 3 federal agrarian universities, and one military university. All universities require tuition fees. Tuition varies by institution and ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 per year. A short list of higher education institutions in Nigeria:

• University of Ibadan.
• University of Lagos.
• Covenant University Ota.
• Obafemi Awolowo University.
• University of Ilorin.
• Ahmadu Bello University.
• Federal University of Technology Akure.
• Bayero University.
• Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
• Nigerian Defense Academy.

This list is far from complete. Only the most prestigious educational institutions are represented here.

Admission to the University of Nigeria

To enter the university, a certificate of complete secondary education from Nigeria is required, or if a foreign applicant wants to enter, his international confirmation is required. You must first send an online application on the university website, after which a meeting will be scheduled for exams. To cross the border, the following documents are required:

• A foreign passport with a validity period of at least 6 months from the receipt of a visa.
• University invitation.
• Visa for study category D. It must be obtained in advance at the Nigerian Embassy (it is done for a period of 7-10 days, while the cost is several thousand US dollars, depending on the circumstances).
• Confirmation of financial solvency (bank statement).
• Health insurance and yellow fever vaccinations.

In order not to obtain a visa on your own, it is better to order it at the migration office. Experts will do everything for you, thereby saving time.