Nigeria has emerged as the world’s third-largest source of international students, accounting for 5% of global outbound student mobility in 2023, according to a new report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The finding was contained in the first-ever Higher Education Global Trends Report published by UNESCO on Tuesday.
According to the report, nearly half of all students studying outside their home countries in 2023 came from just 10 countries, with China and India maintaining overwhelming dominance in global outbound mobility.
China accounted for 37% of all internationally mobile students worldwide, while India contributed 29 per cent. Nigeria and Germany followed jointly in third place with five per cent each.
Other countries in the top 10 included Viet Nam, Uzbekistan, the United States, France, Pakistan, and Nepal, each contributing four per cent of global outbound student mobility.
UNESCO said the top 10 countries collectively represented 45 per cent of all internationally mobile students globally in 2023.
The organisation noted that international student mobility has continued to expand despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“International student mobility has become a topic of growing importance in the field of higher education, with mobility flows increasing around the world, leading to unprecedented levels of global exchange,” the report stated.
According to UNESCO, the number of internationally mobile students almost tripled over the past two decades, rising from 2.5 million in 2002 to 7.3 million in 2023.
The organisation projected that the figure could rise further to nine million by 2030.
UNESCO attributed global student mobility patterns to several factors, including macroeconomic conditions, the quality and capacity of domestic higher education systems, visa policies, government strategies, and opportunities for post-graduation employment.
