Foreign

UK grants student visas to 58,897 Nigerians in two years

Published

4 years ago

May 26, 2022

The number of Nigerians granted sponsored study visas increased by 529 per cent in two years, a report by the United Kingdom has revealed.

According to the immigration statistics published on www.gov.uk on Thursday, between March 2020 to March 2022, a total of 58,887 study visas were granted up from 17,366 in March 2021.

The report disclosed that Nigeria had the third-highest number of nationalities granted UK sponsored study visas after China and India, as of March 2022.

It read, “Chinese nationals were the most common nationality granted sponsored study visas in the year ending March 2022, with 116,967 visas granted, similar to the number seen in the year ending March 2020 (118,291).

“Although the overall number was similar, Chinese students accounted for only 25 per cent of the total number of sponsored study visas granted, the lowest proportion since the year ending March 2012 and much lower than the peak of 43 per cent in the year ending September 2019.

“COVID-19 restrictions were implemented early in China, from January 2020, and therefore may have disproportionately affected the number of study grants to Chinese students in 2020. Before travel restrictions were implemented, there had been a steady rise in the number and proportion of sponsored study visas granted to Chinese nationals since 2009.”

The report further said 107,978 visas were issued to Indian nationals in the year ending March 2022, almost double the number compared to the previous year and 122 per cent higher than the year ending March 2020.

It added, “Indian nationals remain the nationality with the second-highest number of sponsored study visa grants. Chinese and Indian nationals together comprise almost half (48%) of all sponsored study grants.

“For the other top five nationalities, Nigerian nationals saw the largest percentage increase in sponsored study grants compared with the year ending March 2020, increasing by 49,532 (+529%) to a record high of 58,887, making them the third-largest nationality group in the last year.”

PUNCH

Foreign

Nigerian Student Found Dead in U.S., Community Seeks Family in Anambra

Published

4 weeks ago

April 14, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Nigerian community in the United States has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Eric Ezeokoli, a student of California State University, Long Beach.
Ezeokoli, who was born on October 6, 1960, reportedly died on Friday, April 11, 2026, at Saint Mary’s Hospital after a brief illness.
Until his death, he was studying Engineering at the university, also known as Long Beach State University. Sources disclosed that he had previously lived in San Jose before relocating to the Los Angeles area.
Tragically, at the time of his passing, Ezeokoli was said to be homeless and living in his car, with no fixed address.
The deceased was originally from Anambra State, although details about his exact hometown remain unclear. There are indications he may have hailed from Aguata, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Efforts are currently underway to locate his family members and relatives in Nigeria. Members of the Nigerian community and concerned individuals are appealing to anyone with useful information about Ezeokoli’s background or family to come forward.
A contact person, Paul Kizito Eze, has been designated to receive information that could help trace the deceased’s relatives.
The appeal has also been extended to people from Anambra State, particularly those familiar with communities in Aguata, to assist in identifying and notifying the family.
The situation has sparked renewed concern over the welfare of some Nigerians living abroad, especially those facing hardship and isolation.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to reach out urgently to assist in reconnecting the late Ezeokoli with his family for proper burial arrangements.

NB: Anyone who knows Eric or his family in Nigeria. If you knew Eric, have any information about his relatives, or are from his hometown in Anambra State, please contact:

Paul Kizito Eze

Phone: 714-768-9074