Nigeria ranks highest in UK for international student dependents

The UK government disclosed that Nigeria has taken the lead in having the highest number of dependents brought in by international students over the last four years [The Guardian] ©(c) provided by Pulse Nigeria

Both the total number of dependants and the proportion of all sponsored study-related visas granted to dependants have shown an upward trajectory since 2019.

In a recent report released by the United Kingdom government, it has been disclosed that Nigeria has taken the lead in having the highest number of dependents brought in by international students over the last four years.

According to the report, the number of dependents from Nigeria soared to an astonishing 60,506 at the end of September 2023, marking a staggering increase of 59,079 from the mere 1,427 recorded in 2019.

Surpassing India, Nigeria now claims the top spot as the Asian country’s dependent count stands at 43,445 at the close of the third quarter of this year, compared to 2,127 in 2019.

The UK government, shedding light on this surge, explained, “Part of the increase in dependants is linked to the increase in main applicants (see section 1), but there have also been large increases in dependants of Indian and Nigerian nationals.”

The report further revealed, “There were 60,506 dependants of Nigerian nationals in the year ending September 2023, an increase of 59,079 compared to 2019 and 9,435 more visas issued than to main applicants in the same period. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependants, increasing from 2,127 to 43,445 in the same time period.”

The UK government pointed out that both the total number of dependants and the proportion of all sponsored study-related visas granted to dependants have shown an upward trajectory since 2019.

This trend is attributed to a shift in the composition of students coming to study in the UK, with a notable increase in those pursuing higher education compared to the pre-pandemic era.

Moreover, the UK government suggested that students arriving for higher education are typically older and more likely to have already established families.