Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has stated that the wave of Nigerians travelling overseas for education is reducing significantly, insisting that recent reforms and improvements in the nation’s tertiary education system are beginning to restore confidence in local universities.
The minister made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, where he dismissed concerns that Nigeria was still experiencing a massive student migration crisis popularly known as “Japa.”
According to him, the current administration has strengthened academic stability, improved continuity in university calendars, and enhanced the quality of learning across several higher institutions, making Nigerian universities more attractive than they were a few years ago.
Alausa Rejects 2023 Student Migration Figures
During the interview, the programme presenter referenced 2023 global data which showed that Nigeria ranked third in the world for outbound student mobility, accounting for nearly five per cent of students leaving their home countries to study abroad, behind only China and India.
Reacting to the figures, Alausa argued that the statistics reflected conditions that existed before recent reforms were introduced in the education sector.
He stressed that the situation in 2023 was very different from what currently exists in Nigerian universities.
According to the minister:
“That’s not Japa. And please, qualify your data. Thank God you told me it was 2023 figure.”
Alausa explained that when the current administration came into office in 2023, Nigeria’s tertiary education sector was struggling with academic instability, repeated strikes, poor investment, and disruptions that discouraged students and parents from trusting local institutions.
He noted that many students sought opportunities abroad at the time because university calendars in Nigeria had become unpredictable.
Minister Says Academic Stability Is Restoring Confidence
The minister said the Federal Government has since focused heavily on restoring academic continuity in public tertiary institutions, adding that students are beginning to see Nigerian universities as viable alternatives again.
In his words:
“2023 was when we came in. There was no academic continuity. They had the kind of extensive investment you’ve made in tertiary education that wasn’t there.”
Alausa revealed that the Ministry of Education has been monitoring the movement of Nigerian students abroad through its educational support services department and has recorded what he described as a sharp decline in outbound student migration.
He stated:
“We’ve seen precipitous drop in those number of student going out. Our tertiary institutions are better now. We have academic continuity, academic session continuity.”
According to the minister, consistent academic calendars are now helping parents and students regain confidence in Nigerian institutions after years of uncertainty caused by industrial actions and funding challenges.
Nigerian Universities Now Experiencing Increased Demand
The education minister further argued that several Nigerian universities and programmes are now witnessing overwhelming demand from students, a development he believes proves that confidence in local education is improving.
He specifically mentioned the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB), Nigeria’s equivalent of the British A-Level programme, noting that students who previously travelled abroad for similar preparatory studies are now enrolling locally.
Alausa said the JUPEB programme has become highly competitive and oversubscribed in recent years.
He also cited institutions such as the University of Lagos Law School and other leading universities across the country as examples of schools now receiving more applications than they can accommodate.
According to him:
“Kids are staying there. The quality of education is significantly better. If you now compare the 2023 data with 2024 and 2025 and see the precipitous drop of Nigeria going out.”
The minister maintained that improved learning conditions, uninterrupted academic sessions, and reforms in higher education are encouraging more Nigerian students to remain in the country for their studies instead of pursuing education overseas.
Debate Over ‘Japa’ and Education Migration Continues
Despite the minister’s claims, concerns about education-related migration remain a major national conversation in Nigeria, especially as thousands of students continue to seek admission opportunities in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and Australia.
Many students have traditionally cited unstable academic calendars, frequent strikes by university unions, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, and concerns about educational quality as reasons for choosing foreign universities.
However, the Federal Government insists that ongoing reforms and investments in Nigeria’s education system are beginning to reverse the trend and strengthen confidence in local institutions.
Education stakeholders are expected to continue monitoring admission patterns, outbound student data, and institutional performance over the coming years to determine whether the reported decline in foreign study migration is sustainable.
