According to information released by the British Council on Thursday, Nigerians would now have to pay N107,500 for IELTS academic exams beginning in September 2023.
At first, the UK required IELTS testing for nationals of any nation seeking to relocate there for employment or academic prospects.
The price of the test, which in Nigeria is currently between N80,000 and N90,000, is nearly three times the minimum wage of N30,000.
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However, the council pointed out that the increase was required to maintain the high standards for the “testing experience.”
“Dear valued Test Taker, We would like to inform you that effective from 1 September 2023, there will be a price increase for IELTS tests offered by the British Council.
“The new prices will be NGN 107,500 for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, NGN 116.000 for UK Visas and Immigration and NGN 104,000 for Life Skills.”
It added, “The new prices are necessary to sustain the high-quality of standards for your testing experience.”
“Thank you for choosing the British Council,” a terse message on the council’s statement read.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, the UK continues to be one of the top choices for Nigerians looking for better educational opportunities and a better quality of life abroad, with many choosing the education visa path and bringing dependents with them.
21,305 Nigerian students are enrolled at UK universities for the 2020–21 academic year. In comparison to 2019–20, this implies an increase of over 64%.
Only China and India were still sending more students to the UK than Nigeria as of September 2021.
From 12,820 in 2016–17 to 21,305 in 2020–21 to 44,195 in 2021–22, enrollments from Nigeria increased sharply.
Nigerians constituted the highest percentage increase in sponsored study visa approvals among all countries, reaching a record high of 65,929—a rise of approximately 700% from 2019 and a 222.8% rise from the same period in 2021.
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66,796 dependent visas were granted to families of Nigerian students who secured study visas between March 2022 and March 2023, according to data from the UK’s Home Office released in May.
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