No fewer than 303 Nigerian students from the southern part of the country have received about $7.5 million (about N2.72bn at N362\per dollar exchange rate) in full or partial scholarships from 225 American universities and colleges to study in the United States for the 2019-2020 academic session.
They are to study one course or the other at either postgraduate or undergraduate levels in Stanford University, The George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, Purdue University, Tufts University, Boston University, Emory University, and Howard University, among many others.
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The acting US Consul General, Osman Tat, disclosed this in Lagos, on Tuesday, during the 2019 EducationUSA pre-departure orientation for the beneficiary students.
Noting that the US remains a top destination for many international students with Nigeria the 13th highest globally, he put the figure of Nigerian students currently studying in the US at about 12, 693.
He congratulated all the students for what he called a very important step in their lives and encouraged them to make the most out of their time in the US to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge needed to support Nigeria’s development back home.
Mr Tat, in a statement made available to newsmen by the Information Specialist, Public Affairs Section of the Consulate General, Mr Temitayo Famutimi, explained that the pre-departure orientation was designed to assist the students to prepare themselves well for the new environment they are about to get to.
“And that is why we always ensure we have some of the current Nigerian students in the US around to offer tips on how to prepare for the US academic, social, and cultural environment,” the consul general said.