A widening gap between academic ability and access to opportunity is shutting thousands of high-performing Nigerian graduates out of global education pathways, even as demands for international scholarships and advanced training continue to rise.
The extent of the challenge came into focus at a recent stakeholder forum organised by the iScholar Initiative (iSI), a non-governmental organisation, where figures showed that more than 15,000 Nigerians have applied through its scholarship pipeline since 2019, but only 455 have been supported so far, largely due to funding and mentoring constraints.
In 2025 alone, the organisation received over 4,000 applications for just 100 available slots.
Vice-President, Global Services, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Uwem Ukpong, described the barrier as less about ability and more about access.
He noted that many candidates fail not for lack of merit, but because they cannot afford standardised tests, interview logistics or basic infrastructure such as electricity and internet access.
According to him, supporting a student through exams like the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) typically cost about $1,000, a sum that remains out of reach for many high-performing graduates of Nigerian universities.
Ukpong, a trustee of iSI, argued that concerns around “brain drain” should be reframed, citing Nigeria’s estimated $20 billion yearly diaspora remittances.
He said expanding global exposure could double that figure over time, while also building a pool of globally trained Nigerians who contribute skills, funding and networks back home, whether physically or from the diaspora.
President of iScholar Initiative, Victor Ogunmola, traced the organisation’s origin to his own experience of nearly missing an opportunity years ago because he could not afford a modest application fee.
He said the same structural barriers persist today, compounded by underfunded universities, outdated curricula and limited access to modern research tools.
“Talent is universal; opportunity is not,” he said, adding that many Nigerian graduates compete internationally “like fish taken out of water.”
Ogunmola acknowledged recent policy steps such as the student loan scheme, but stressed that financial access alone is insufficient without functional laboratories, updated curricula and mentorship.
He warned that the combination of poor learning infrastructure, economic pressure and the lure of quick money is eroding long-term academic ambition among young people.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Tolu Ewherido, countered claims that programmes like iSI accelerate permanent emigration.
She said beneficiaries are already reinvesting in Nigeria by mentoring new applicants, supporting siblings through local universities and contributing skills to sectors ranging from medical research to aerospace.
Several scholars, she noted, now serve as mentors and managers within the initiative itself.
In the same vein, a member of the Board of Trustees, Titilayo Olujobi, added that the programme’s end-to-end mentoring model has helped prevent dropouts, even among scholars facing cultural shock or academic pressure abroad.
She said the real constraint is scale, not quality, as at least half of the applicants meet global admission standards.
As Nigeria produces thousands of first-class and second-class upper graduates yearly, the discussions highlighted a national dilemma: a surplus of capable minds constrained by limited opportunities.
Stakeholders agreed that without stronger collaboration between the government, corporate bodies, and civil society to fund and mentor talent, the country risks wasting human capital critical for innovation, governance, and economic recovery.
