By Saheed Ibrahim

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As the rate of Nigerian youths running abroad, especially for education, continues to increase geometrically, education consulting business for international students is now a booming business.

Their services include facilitating admission for admission seekers, getting relevant documents, visa application, securing proof of fund among others.

Statistics from the United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria showed that the number of Nigerian students enrolled in the US tertiary institutions increased by 12.3 per cent in the 2021/2022 academic year when compared to the previous session.

The number of Nigerians studying in the United Kingdom (UK) has risen from 13,020 in the 2019/2020 academic session to 21,305 by the 2020/2021 session.

In 2021, the number of Nigerians studying in the UK surged by 64 per cent, as confirmed by data from the UKs Higher Education Statistics Agency.

As at July 2022, an umbrella organisation of Nigerian students studying in Europe and Turkey, the Association of Nigerians Students in Europe revealed that over three million Nigerians are currently studying in higher institutions in different countries across Europe.

We observed that this Japa syndrome among Nigerian youths have given room for some many Nigerians, especially those with experiences abroad, to open education consulting businesses to assist those who seek to study abroad.

We gathered that the consultant charge an average of N300,000 per student for their services while other charges may apply as situations demand.

For instance, 3% – 5% is charged monthly on any amount used as proof of fund for any client.

One of the consultants, Mr Andrew Chuks, said the business has become a booming business as many Nigerian youths need help to secure admission abroad.

He said, “We know how the education sector in the country is and many students want admission abroad but do not know the way to go.

“Some get denied at the embassy while some face challenges securing the right documents. This is where we come in and we do the running for them.”

Chuks said he charged between N300,000 to N500,000 to secure admission for admission seekers, depending on the services he will render.

Mr Lanre Edwards, who specializes in securing admission into Finnish, Norwegian and some European universities for clients said the rope of consultants in securing admission abroad for Nigerian students cannot be ignored.

According to him, “Many people have not left their states, let alone the shore of the country. So, they have poor knowledge of how to go about their applications and if they are not careful, they get swindled.

“We sometimes go beyond admission. We advise on schools, courses and countries to choose and we use our connections to assist our clients with accommodation.”