Study In Ukraine For Nigerian Students

Nigerians are one of the most travelled people in the world, and it’s no surprise that they are among the largest international students’ community in Ukraine?

According to 2019 statistics, there are more than 4300 Nigerian students studying in Ukraine, studying medicine/surgery, engineering, social sciences, to postgraduate programs.

In reality, the educational partnership between Nigerian and Ukraine dates as far back as the Soviet era, and the all-time number of Nigerians that studied and graduated in Ukraine will be approaching 6 digits.

The continued increase in Nigerians interest to study in Ukraine is a clear indication that Nigerians are, not only welcome but receive top-notch academic value that sustains this growing interest in Ukraine’s university education.

Challenges Of University Education In Nigeria

Nigeria, a multi-ethnic country of about 200 million people, is blessed with a teeming youth population in their millions, all in need of quality education.

Although all the states in Nigeria have a minimum of one higher institution, the overall number of higher institutions in Nigeria cannot adequately serve the fast-growing population.

The expansion rate of the higher institutions does not match the growth rate of the population, making university entrance very competitive, especially for some courses like medicine and surgery, engineering, etc.

Consequently, some candidates could waste 2 – 3 years or more at home, just writing entrance exams for university admission. Sometimes, many students still end up disappointed.

The lucky students that manage to secure university admission may not be guaranteed of timely graduation within the supposed educational duration.

It is not news that many female students in Nigerian suffer sexual blackmail and harassment from lecturers. Many students have lost their lives to campus cult activities and organized crimes within the institutions.

Strikes and industrial actions from either the academic staff or the non-academic staffs of universities are not alien to Nigeria’s educational institutions. Induced-carryovers are deliberately used by some lecturers as a suppression instrument.

These factors, in different combinations, could frustrate even very good students, while some end up dropping out entirely, wasting both time and financial resources.

Unfortunately, this is the overall state of Nigeria’s university education, which is why many parents end up deciding to send their kids abroad for university education.

Considering that many Nigerian parents might not be able to afford the high cost of university education in countries like the USA, Canada, Uk & Australia, Ukraine presents the perfect alternative, considering it’s affordable and quality education.

ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING IN UKRAINE FOR NIGERIANS

There are three major advantages of studying in Ukraine for Nigerian students.

1: Quality Education – there is no real value getting university education just for the degree, with no real intellectual value. Ukraine offers quality education by lecturers who don’t just regurgitate the same old materials that have been recycled for ages.

2: Competitive Cost – for the quality of education Ukraine offers, it is very difficult to find an alternative at the same price point. Besides that, Ukraine as a country has a comparatively low cost of living, making the entire education budget within the reach of an average family.

3: Admission Ease & Academic Stability – this is huge because students are sure to graduate within the stipulated time, in the absence of any violation from the student. That cannot be confidently said about Nigeria.

Most importantly, there is no need for IELTS and TOEFL language tests, as well as JAMB and other university entry tests, all of which complicate and harden the university admission process in Nigeria.

On the contrary, Ukraine’s university admission process only requires 5 credit passes in the subjects relevant to the area of study. In other words, 5 credit passes in WAEC or it’s equivalent, and that’s all.

There are lots more benefits such as wide exposure, international contacts, prestige, etc, but the above three are the primary ones.

Among those core benefits, the cost is even the most driving factor. For instance, an international medical student in the UK will be paying a tuition range of $15,000 – $50,000 per year, while it will be only about $4,000 – $5,000 in Ukraine.

This informs the reason why many Nigerian and other international students opt to study medicine in Ukraine for the cost advantage.

See the table below for an idea of the comparative cost of studying in Ukraine for a Nigerian vs in the UK, USA, Canada, or Australia.

Courses, Tuition & Admission Requirements For Nigerian Students

Below is the list of available courses to study as an international student in Ukraine. Click to open the section relevant to your area of interest.

Processing Ukraine Study Visa For Nigerian Students

Nigerian students planning to study in Ukraine will require an entry visa type D, obtained from the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria.

General Visa Application Requirements For Nigerians:

1. International passport and photocopy of the first page that should meet the following requirements:

• Be valid for at least three months after the stated date of departure from Ukraine;
• Have at least two blank visas designated pages;
• Have a validity period of no longer than 10 years;

2. One coloured passport photo 35 mm x 45 mm;

3. The original invitation for study and its photocopy. Information contained in both the invitation letter and the international must match;

5. The original birth certificate and a legalized copy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of issuing country and its translation into Ukrainian language;

6. Original secondary school-leaving certificate (college) with the statement of results (transcript of marks received) and their copies legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of issuing country and its translation into Ukrainian language;

7. Medical certificate of general fitness legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its translation into Ukrainian language. The medical certificate is valid for TWO MONTHS, and candidate must use it for university enrollment while valid;

8. Original sponsorship letter (attested by a notary) made by a court affidavit, which must include a full name of a sponsor, his/her address, landline and mobile telephone number, e-mail (if any), and obligation of a sponsor to cover expenses (stating sum of expenses) of an applicant;

9. Photocopy of sponsor`s ID/passport with and signed by the sponsor;

10. Original of recent bank statements of a sponsor (for the past six months and should be personal not a company account); minimum amount should be sufficient to cover all applicant’s expenses during his/her first year in Ukraine (tuition fees and daily expenses);

11. valid health insurance with coverage of at least 30,000 EUR or equivalent in other currency;

12. receipt of payment of visa fees.

Note that all consular/visa fees are not refundable according to Ukrainian legislation.