Search curiosity in America amongst Nigerians dropped instantly following the announcement of the US journey ban in December 2025, with ranges greater than half of what they have been throughout a excessive level in August final 12 months, in accordance with Keystone Schooling Group information.
“We proceed to see audiences responding in a short time to actions and bulletins from the US authorities and Nigeria isn’t any exception,” stated Mark Bennett, Keystone’s VP of analysis & perception.
“These bulletins don’t discourage Nigerians from learning overseas, however they may immediate them to search for alternatives elsewhere. Crucially, that doesn’t should imply elsewhere within the huge 4,” added Bennett.
European locations have absorbed probably the most Nigerian pupil curiosity pivoting away from the US, with France and Italy seeing search development of 40% and 33% respectively throughout the identical interval.
China has additionally seen a 17% enhance in curiosity from Nigerian college students, whereas curiosity in Australia grew by 21%.
Beforehand, the problem was navigating lengthy wait instances and backlogs. Now, there isn’t any pathway in any respect
Bimpe Femi-Oyewo
On December 16, 2025, the administration introduced the enlargement of the US journey ban to cowl nearly 40 nations, together with Nigeria, America’s eighth largest sender of worldwide college students.
The African nation is now topic to partial journey restrictions, which incorporates barring Nigerian residents from acquiring research visas for the US.
Talking to The PIE Information shortly after the announcement, founding father of a Nigerian schooling consultancy Bimpe Femi-Oyewo stated the extent of uncertainty brought on by the ban was “incredibly destabilising” for college kids and the establishments that admitted them.
“Beforehand, the problem was navigating lengthy wait instances and backlogs. Now, there isn’t any pathway in any respect,” she stated – including that she was encouraging college students to contemplate various pathways in Europe and Canada.
What’s extra, the ripple results of the journey ban and different restrictive US insurance policies are being felt past the immediately impacted nations, with America’s popularity as an unwelcoming research vacation spot rising globally.
That is evident in Keystone’s survey information, which discovered the proportion of scholars expressing low confidence within the ease of US visa and entry necessities rising from 14% to 21% following the expanded journey ban.
