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Uk Varsities Lament Financial Crisis As Nigerian, Indian Students Fall By One-Third In 2024

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According to the Financial Times, enrollment into UK varsities has fallen by over a one-third from key countries, including Nigeria and India.

Universities in the United Kingdom (UK) are faced with the risk of a financial crisis following a sharp drop in the number of international students enrolling at various institutions in 2024.

According to the Financial Times, enrollment into UK varsities has fallen by over a one-third from key countries, including Nigeria and India.

Following the announcement by UK authorities to stop international students from bringing in dependents on their study visa, there is panic amongst UK universities that they might fall into deficit as foreign student enrollment drops.

A sharp drop in international students, especially Nigerians and Indians, has left the education industry experts worried about the future.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), a body which represents over 140 universities, explained that the current situation in the sector mirrors that of a “serious overcorrection” caused by immigration policies stopping international students from coming to study in Britain.

“If they want to cool things down, that’s one thing, but it seems to me that through a combination of rhetoric, which is off-putting, and policy changes . . .[they have] really turned a whole bunch of people off that would otherwise have come to the UK,” Ms Stern told the Financial Times.

Ms Stern explained that the UK government needs to wake up to the risk posed to a sector that contributes £71 billion annually to the UK economy.

She proposed that three interventions were necessary to reverse the coming calamity and put the sector on a stable footing.

Ms Stern argued that uprating tuition fees in line with inflation, increasing government teaching grants, and stabilising the international market by dialling down negative rhetoric and ending question marks over the graduate route would do the trick.

Some top universities are forced to soften their entry requirements to maintain the number of international students.

Since domestic tuition fees have been frozen for the past 10 years, UK universities have increasingly relied on international students to make ends meet.

Fees from international students now account for nearly 20 per cent of the sector income, with the domestic tuition fee frozen at £9,250 for over a decade.

A senior university insider told the Financial Times that the entire sector had been shocked by the data showcasing the number of international students enrolling in schools in 2024. The data revealed the number to be way below everyone’s projections for the year.

Earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new immigration policies barring international graduate students from bringing family members to the UK.

In December, he also announced that the government was reviewing the so-called “graduate route”, enabling international students to work in the UK for two years.

Data from Enroly, a web platform used by a high percentage of international students for managing university enrollment, showed that deposit payments were down 37 per cent compared to last year.

PwC consultants analysed the UUK situation and found that a combination of falling international student numbers, frozen tuition fees, rising staff wage bills, and a softening in UK student numbers had the sector facing fresh troubles.

Meanwhile, higher education minister Robert Halfon explained the need to balance immigration policies and attract international students.

“We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration, which we are clear is far too high, and attracting the brightest students to study at our universities,” Mr Halfon said.

Last year, the number of Nigerian students studying in the UK hit an eight-year high of 44,195, according to official data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

SOURCE: gazettengr.com

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Five Nigerians Arrested By Philippines Police For Kidnapping

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Five Nigerians have been arrested in the Philippines for allegedly kidnapping another Nigerian Student.

The suspects were arrested in Angeles City, Pampanga on Thursday.

The suspects, namely Evans Enwwereaku Chinemerem, David Chidera Ibegbulamo, Nwokeke Christian Ihechukwu, Nwokeke Cajothan Chinemmerem and Okonkwo Emmanuel Kosiso, who are all residents of Angeles City, are facing criminal complaints of kidnapping for ransom and violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Central Luzon Police director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said the suspects were arrested when operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group, together with Mabalacat City and Angeles City police, raided their hideout in Barangay Malabanias at around 5 a.m.

Maranan added that the operation was based on information from the Anti-Kidnapping Group that the suspects kidnapped their fellow Nigerian, Kingsley Chukwuemeka Ikeagwuana, a student residing at Urban Resort Residences in Paranaque City and held the victim for ransom.

“Hopefully, this will serve as a warning to those who want to commit crimes and to thieves,” he said.

Three firearms, two .45 caliber pistols and a .38 caliber revolver with ammunition were seized from the suspects.

The suspects are under police custody.

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Okonjo-Iweala Set For Re-Election As DG Of WTO

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Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is set for re-election as director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after emerging as the sole candidate at the close of nomination for the position yesterday.

The WTO confirmed the development in a statement yesterday.

“Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council, informed WTO members on 9 November that no further nominations for the position of Director-General had been received by the deadline of 8 November and that the incumbent Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is therefore the only candidate for the role,” the WTO said.

It added:“Director-General Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term in the role in a letter to the Chair on 16 September. On 8 October, the WTO formally commenced the process for appointing its next Director-General, with members given until 8 November to submit nominations.”

The WTO said the chair of the General Council will communicate the next steps in this process in the coming days.

“The process was led by the General Council Chair in accordance with the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General,” the organisation said.

Okonjo-Iweala’s present term will end on 31 August 2025.

She became WTO DG on February 15,2021, the first woman and African to lead the trade organisation.

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Kwara Student’s Death, Three Police Officers Detained

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Three police officers has been arrested and detaibeed for allegedly beat a Kwara State University (KWASU) student to death at Tanke Bridge in Ilorin, the state capital.

The deceased was identified as Suleiman Olayinka. The 27 year-old was said to be asthmatic. The state Police Command confirmed the arrest of the suspects.

Olayinka was allegedly killed by the policemen last Tuesday at around 2:00 pm.

An eyewitness said the incident occurred when Olayinka  got off a motorcycle and was approached by three officers, who then dragged him to the ground.

The deceased was said to have gone to collect N1,000, which he had already transferred to a point-of-sale operator to settle the fare for the commercial motorcycle  rider who brought him.

“I was with him. As soon as he got the money from a PoS operator, the officers came out of a tricycle and dragged him to the ground. The victim kept asking what offence he had committed, but they didn’t let him speak. All his pleas were ignored,” the witness said.

Confirming the arrest of the suspects, the state police spokesperson, DSP Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, in a statement issued on Friday, said“The Kwara State Police Command is aware of this unfortunate incident, which led to the sudden death of Suleiman Olayinka (M), 27 years old.

“A complaint of cheating and criminal breach of trust was reported against the deceased. Police detectives were immediately assigned to investigate the case.

“Meanwhile, the officers involved in the incident have been identified, arrested, and detained for further investigation regarding the death of the suspect.

“Further updates will be provided promptly as investigations unfold.”

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