Anthony Kila, a Commonwealth Institute Director and professor of Strategy and Development, has called on Nigerian universities to aggressively pursue international student recruitment across Commonwealth countries. He described global education as one of the most strategic and underutilised opportunities for revenue and influence available to higher institutions in Nigeria today.
Strategic Presentation at Commonwealth Conference
The don made the call during a strategic presentation at the recently concluded Commonwealth University Leaders’ Conference. The event brought together university leaders, education strategists, policymakers, and institutional administrators to discuss funding, leadership, and sustainability in higher education.
Speaking on the theme, “International Student Recruitment as a Source of Extra and Foreign Revenue Generation,” Kila emphasised that Nigerian universities must begin to view international education not merely as an admission activity but as a strategic industry tied to economics, diplomacy, reputation, and institutional survival in the 21st century.
Global Competition and Nigerian Advantages
According to him, universities worldwide now compete internationally for students, partnerships, visibility, and financial sustainability. However, Nigerian universities continue to underperform in a sector where the country already has significant natural advantages.
Kila identified Commonwealth countries across Africa and the Caribbean as immediate recruitment opportunities for Nigerian universities. He noted that Nigerian institutions could attract international students in areas where the country has strong academic and cultural relevance. These areas include:
- African Studies
- Governance and Diplomacy
- Political Economy
- FinTech
- Entrepreneurship
- Public and Tropical Health
- Religion and Society
- Nollywood
- Afrobeat and Creative Arts
Structural Challenges and Recommendations
He warned that many Nigerian universities remain structurally unprepared for internationalisation due to weak branding, poor digital visibility, outdated application systems, inconsistent academic calendars, and underdeveloped support for international students.
Kila stressed the importance of leadership commitment, urging vice-chancellors and university administrators to treat internationalisation as a core institutional strategy rather than a peripheral one. He emphasised that universities that internationalise intelligently would become not only financially stronger but also more relevant, resilient, and globally influential.
“International recruitment is more than admissions. It is an economic, institutional, reputational, soft-power and development strategy,” he said.
