- Nduka Orjinmo
- BBC News, Abuja
photo credit, Modupe Osunkoya
After more than 200 unsuccessful applications on LinkedIn alone, Nigerian student Modupe Osunkoya knew she was running out of time to extend her stay in Belgium.
With three months to go before her student visa, she needed to find a job or leave the country.
But there was another option – enrolling in another cycle, which would take her to third grade since leaving Nigeria in 2017.
“I never saw myself doing a PhD, but if I go home now, there’s no work waiting for me,” the 28-year-old told the BBC.
High unemployment – one in three young people is unemployed – and relatively precarious living conditions mean that many of the brightest Nigerians would rather try their luck abroad than return home.
So, last year, Modupe Osunkoya enrolled for a doctorate in Estonia, which runs alongside his second master’s in Belgium.
She moved to Estonia after not receiving any offers of a job or a PhD in Belgium.
“Studies are [un] way to achieve my goals, and if God gives me permanent residency, why not?” she said.
Your PhD at Tallinn University of Technology is a paid position. At the end of the four years of research, she can apply for permanent residency.
She plans to move to the Eastern European country for classes, which, like Belgium, are taught in English.
photo credit, AFP
University graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to find work in Nigeria
Modupe Osunkoya, like many other students, is not one of the super-rich elite who send their children to study abroad.
Last year, around 100,000 Nigerians moved abroad to study, according to ICEF Monitor, which focuses on international student mobility.
Many hope to become permanent residents of their host country and are considering all options to make that happen.
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Another Nigerian student in Belgium, Bonuola, who did not want her surname mentioned, said: “People finish a master’s degree, come back for a below-academic degree, then a cheap certificate, all to stay legally in the system.”
Despite earning a degree in economics in Nigeria, she decided to start from scratch when she arrived in Belgium, completing a three-year course in business management – to save time – and then a master’s degree in business management.
She doesn’t rule out the possibility of a second master’s and doctorate if she can’t find a job that would allow her to get a permanent visa.
“I am an African studying Africa in Belgium and it is driving me crazy,” said a third student, Ifeoma, (not her real name) who is currently pursuing her second master’s degree since arriving in the country in 2019. .
“It’s nothing serious, it’s just to kill time [pendant que je] decide what to do,” he added.
photo credit, AFP
Belgium has a controversial history as a colonial power in Africa
Tuition fees as low as €1,000 per year and the relatively low cost of living for students in Belgium compared to some other European countries have made it an attractive destination for many middle-income Nigerians. .
“Living costs are low – you can get accommodation for 300 euros a month,” Osunkoya said.
Like many others, she left home with only one semester’s tuition paid and enough pocket money to last a few weeks. She financed her studies by working up to 20 hours a week, as she is legally allowed to do, earning up to 1,000 euros a month.
But The preferred destination for students from financially affluent families remains English-speaking countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, where there are more than 13,000 Nigerian students.
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Nigerian student interest in the UK dropped from 18,020 in 2013/14 to 10,540 in 2017/18, down 41%, according to ICEF Monitor.
One of the reasons for this drop was the withdrawal of the visa that allowed foreign students to work for two years after completing their studies.
This, along with cheaper tuition fees, less stressful visa processes, and clearer pathways to graduate work and residency, have made Canada a more attractive destination for many students.
But the UK government has since reversed course, hoping to regain its share of the lucrative global education market.
photo credit, Getty Images
Some students study in Nigeria before going abroad for further study
Like most foreigners, Nigerian students typically pay more than three times the fees paid by students from the UK or EU countries.
But it can be difficult for Nigerians to get non-manual jobs in the UK, let alone in places like Belgium in languages they don’t speak.
Flemish, French and German are the official languages of Belgium and most employers want candidates who speak at least two of them.
Like most other Nigerian students, Modupe Osunkoya is only fluent in English, although he has a basic knowledge of Flemish.
“Even if you have a post-study visa, you will be applying for jobs with locals who speak the languages better than you do,” she said.
Some students also complain of racial bias, while others say they have become overqualified and still lack work experience.
Belgium last week revised its immigration policy to allow students to stay for up to one year on their temporary visa to look for work.
But Bonuola says she won’t accept that option because, once she’s enrolled, she won’t be able to go back to school for other degrees if she doesn’t get a job.
“It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place,” she said.