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Dependant Visa Ban: UK varsities hit with low revenues as Nigerians turn to Canada
UK’s Dependant visa ban
Recall that the UK Home Office under the sacked interior secretary Suella Braverman introduced the dependant visa ban policy that restricted Nigerians and other migrants from bringing family members with them starting from January 2024.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, while speaking on the policy in June said it was implemented to avoid overburdening the British economy’s s housing infrastructure and to control the inflow of migrants.
Recounting the repercussions of the policy, the universities and business schools said they cannot meet the admission targets for the year 2024, according to a report by 023 Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) Annual Membership Survey.
“In what appears to be an early signal of the impact of an important change to UK visa policy, nearly half (44%) of the country’s business schools are reporting that they will miss their non-EU recruitment targets this year,” the report said.
“When reporting on performance against non-EU recruitment targets for the 2023/24 academic year, nearly three in ten responding institutions (29%) said they had either significantly or moderately exceeded their goal. Another 27% said they had met their recruitment target.
“But the remaining 44% said that they fell short of their recruitment goals, of which 22% reported being “significantly below” their target enrollment.
“The survey report adds: ‘There is significant variation in the results by level of study for non-EU international enrollments, as at undergraduate level nearly half of the schools either significantly or moderately exceeded target compared to one-third of schools at postgraduate level.
“At postgraduate level nearly 50% of schools reported recruitment that was either significantly or moderately below target for non-EU international students, compared to 21% at undergraduate level.’”
It added, “Survey respondents reported that they were seeing some of the most significant increases in non-EU enrollment from India, Pakistan, and Ghana. “All these countries had more business schools seeing increases in enrollments for the new academic year than decreases,” notes the report. “Growth in enrollments from Nepal and Saudi Arabia were also cited by several schools. None of the schools cited decreases in enrollments from Nepal, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”
Nigerian and Chinese foreign students
Affected by the dependant visa restriction policy, the report disclosed that Nigerians and Chinese have reduced their admissions to British universities, as it said, “the most frequently cited countries for declining enrolments were China and Nigeria, which could suggest a reversal in the growth in recruitment from these key countries in recent years.
Canada and Australia benefitting from UK’s dependant visa ban
The report further said that the number of international students seeking admission to study Master in Business Administration (MBA) has reduced in number, especially from Nigerians and Chinese. It further said these foreign students have turned to Canadian and Australian universities which are now migrant-friendly destinations.
In May 2023, the British government announced that international students would be prevented from bringing dependants with them as of January 2024 (unless students are in postgraduate programmes with a research focus).
The Home Office said at the time that almost half a million student visas were issued in 2022 while the number of dependants of overseas students has increased by 750% since 2019, to 136,000 people. The move to limit accompanying dependents was explicitly done to curb net migration, and was described by the Home Secretary as the “single biggest tightening measure a government has ever done.”
The vast majority of respondents to the CABS survey said that they expect to see negative impacts on non-EU enrolment arising from the policy.
According to the report, “It is anticipated that enrolments for MBA programmes will be most affected as MBA students tend to be older and often wish to bring their family with them. Other post-experience programmes, such as Executive Education programmes sponsored by a company, are also expected to be more adversely impacted due to students being more likely to have children.
“Many [respondents] mentioned that the change has prompted them to reassess their school’s strategy which includes shifting MBAs and Master’s programmes to online delivery if not already offered in this mode, and focusing on growing international student numbers at an undergraduate level instead. There is also a sense that the recruitment of business schools in competitor countries such as Australia and Canada is already benefitting from the UK’s decision to ban visas for dependents of students.”
The revenue impact
The survey found overall that UK universities remain highly dependent on business school tuition revenue, and that, with the downward pressure on non-EU enrolments for this year in particular, the financial outlook for the year ahead is weakening.
“While 28% and 49% of respondents in 2022 stated that they expected significant and moderate increases in income respectively, these numbers have fallen to 9% and 36% in this year’s edition of the survey. 30% of business schools expect a decrease in income compared to only 2% in last year’s survey,” it added. (Vanguard)
The Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has strongly criticized the National Assembly for endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, accusing both chambers of aiding in the desecration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Caucus meeting, held at the residence of former leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, Afenifere stated that members of the National Assembly have demonstrated a lack of courage in defending the democratic rights of Nigerians.
The communiqué, signed by Afenifere Leader Oba Oladipo Olaitan and National Publicity Secretary Prince Justice Faloye, described the President’s action and the National Assembly’s endorsement as “an ill-wind that blows the nation no good and a spit in the face of Nigerians.”
Afenifere called on the leadership of the National Assembly to step down in the interest of integrity, decency, and respect for the principle of separation of powers, which it described as the foundation of democracy.
“Contrary to the expectations of Nigerians but in a manner consistent with its proven character, the 10th Assembly in both chambers not only joined hands with the President in further desecrating the already tenuous 1999 Constitution but also demonstrated a lack of courage to defend the democratic rights of the people,” the communiqué read.
It further criticized the use of a voice vote to approve the emergency rule, arguing that such a procedure obscured constitutional requirements for a two-thirds majority vote in matters of national significance.
“The resort to a voice vote, thereby avoiding compliance with constitutional provisions, is a clear attempt to obscure the required legislative plebiscite on such a matter of monumental national importance. The President’s unilateral reversal of the electoral decision of the people of Rivers State is an affront to democracy and spits on the faces of Nigerians,” Afenifere stated.
Afenifere warned that the increasing concentration of power in the executive arm of government posed a serious threat to democracy, likening the situation to the way Adolf Hitler hijacked German democracy.
“By these very acts, a new gambit has emerged—a crisis of Nigerian constitutionalism—where both the horizontal principle of separation of powers and the vertical principles of federalism are being undemocratically usurped by an all-powerful executive that believes it can do whatever it wants,” the communiqué added.
The group also dismissed the recent vote of confidence passed on Senate President Godswill Akpabio by his colleagues, stating that it was an admission of a crisis of confidence within the Senate itself.
Afenifere urged all Nigerians to rise in defense of democracy and the rule of law, warning that failure to act could lead to the destruction of the country’s hard-won democratic system.
“We call on all people of goodwill to take legitimate action to restore the rule of law, ensure best democratic practices, and save Nigerian democracy. We must nip this in the bud before our democracy is completely eroded,” the communiqué concluded.
The Organised Labour has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that it may be forced to take decisive action that could disrupt national economic activities if the proclamation is not reversed within a reasonable timeframe.
The threat was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Rivers State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alex Agwanwor; State Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ikechukwu Onyefuru; and Chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Chuku Emecheta.
The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact, and consequences of the federal government’s actions.
The Organised Labour described the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of the elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara; deputy governor, Ngozi Odu; and House of Assembly members as premature and baseless.
According to the union leaders, the people of Rivers State freely elected these officials, and any attempt to remove them outside constitutional processes undermines democracy.
They insisted that such actions must be reversed to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system.
They highlighted the immediate hardship the state of emergency has caused for local government workers, many of whom have yet to receive their salaries.
The statement noted that withholding workers’ wages has exposed them to avoidable economic suffering, particularly at a time when the cost of living is already high.
The Organised Labour warned that the state of emergency could have devastating economic consequences, emphasising Rivers State’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy and the Niger Delta region.
It said with the nation already grappling with inflation, naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment, and skyrocketing living costs, further instability in Rivers State could worsen the situation nationwide.
The statement also pointed out that the political uncertainty caused by the state of emergency has driven away potential investors who had expressed interest in the state’s economic initiative.
This loss of investment, according to labour leaders, is damaging the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) and will have long-term consequences for economic development and employment opportunities in the region.
While acknowledging the need for maintaining law and order, the Organized Labour stressed that such actions must be carried out within the framework of the Nigerian Constitution.
The unions argued that suspending elected officials and allegedly disrupting salary payments for workers violate fundamental rights and could worsen security and economic challenges.
They urged the Federal Government to prioritise the safety and welfare of citizens over political interests, warning that any governance approach that sacrifices workers’ well-being for political maneuvers would only heighten tensions and resistance.
The statement called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the judiciary to take immediate steps to reverse the state of emergency and reinstate the suspended elected officials.
In a bid to resolve the situation peacefully, the unions advised the federal government to engage in meaningful dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
They warned that a failure to do so could lead to further escalation of the crisis, worsening the already tense political atmosphere in the state.
While calling on workers to remain calm and continue their duties, the Organised Labour leaders warned that they would not hesitate to take strategic union actions if their demands were not met within a reasonable timeframe.
Such actions, they emphasised, could have significant consequences for national economic activities. (Channels TV)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the petition submitted for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan fell short of some requirements.
Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said this in a statement issued on Thursday, 25th March, 2025.
Olumekun said the commission would take the necessary steps in line with laid down provisions if the petitioners completes the process in the appropriate manner.
“The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.”
“The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines. The address given is “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.
“The Commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them. Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the Commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only. The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines. In the absence of a definite contact address, the Commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.”
The Commission reassured the public that it would be guided by the legal framework for recall.
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