Nigeria Ranked Third Globally in International Student Mobility

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

Nigeria has been ranked the world’s third-largest source of international students, according to UNESCO’s Higher Education Global Trends Report released on May 12, 2026.

The report revealed that Nigerian students accounted for about five per cent of all internationally mobile students in 2023, placing the country behind only China and India.

According to UNESCO, China remained the largest contributor to global student mobility with 37 per cent, followed by India with 29 per cent, while Nigeria and Germany jointly occupied third position with five per cent each.

Other countries listed among the top sources of students studying abroad were Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the United States, France, Pakistan and Nepal, each contributing about four per cent.

UNESCO noted that nearly half of all international students worldwide originated from just 10 countries in 2023.

“The top 10 countries together accounted for 45 per cent of all outbound student mobility globally in 2023,” the report stated.

The organisation further disclosed that the number of students studying outside their home countries has nearly tripled over the past two decades, increasing from 2.5 million in 2002 to 7.3 million in 2023.

UNESCO projected that the figure could rise to nine million by 2030.

Despite the rapid growth, the report described international education as still largely elitist, noting that less than three per cent of higher education students globally currently have access to academic mobility opportunities abroad.

UNESCO linked the increasing number of Nigerian students studying overseas to factors such as the demand for higher-quality education, limited admission capacity in local universities, scholarship opportunities, favourable visa and post-study work policies abroad, as well as prevailing economic conditions at home.

The report also noted that governments across the world are increasingly introducing policies aimed at boosting outbound student mobility.

According to UNESCO, about 35 per cent of countries now have specific targets designed to increase the number of students studying overseas.