The United kingdom (UK) says only international students coming in for their Doctor of Philosophy.(PhD) studies were eligible to bring in dependents to the country.

Dr. Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria made this known in an interview with the newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that, the educational system policy changed earlier this year for international students in higher education not to bring dependents into the UK was to curb the increase of foreign student bringing in dependents.

He explained that the huge surge in dependence was putting an unsustainable pressure on many universities, adding that, it was the reason these changes were introduced.

Montgomery added that before his posting as High Commissioner to Nigeria, he had spoken to some of these universities on the policy change, which had been in the pipeline for some time.

He noted that the universities Chancellors had complained of the huge student populations’ highlighting that accommodation was a huge challenge, access to medical services under the National Health Service and access to school if they brought in dependents.

According to him, the restrictions do not apply to all categories, adding that those doing a long term research degree, like a PhD, or doctorate were not affected.

“Those coming to the UK for doctorate can still bring their dependency but if you are coming to the UK with a study visa for an undergraduate degree, or short term master’s degree am afraid the rules have been changed.

“People need to understand why this change was brought in, and it is a sensible change because we have a large higher education sector and most of these universities are in towns across the country.

“There has been a surge recently, in demand for British education and I can give you the macro figures and there has also been a huge increase in foreign students bringing their dependants.

“In the case of Nigeria, in 2019, before the Coronavirus pandemic, there were only one and a half thousand dependents being brought in from Nigeria, with those on study visas,

“In 2022, that figure had increased to fifty two thousand dependants so that’s a thirty fold increase in dependence. And it’s not just about Nigeria by the way.

“It is also about all foreign students, we saw similar rises, for example amongst Indian students coming to study in the UK,” he added

Speaking on the policy initiation it is early to ascertain the impact of the policy on undergraduates because these changes were announced in 2023, but came into effect early this year and we would have to wait until September 2024, before we get the next run of academic tickets, he said.

“I think what your wider audience needs to hear is that the demand for UK education is really strong, in

2022, 65,000 study visas was approved to Nigerian applicants, 65,000, while in  September  2023 we received about 115,000 Study visa applications from Nigeria.

“Of which 95 per cent were approved and over 110,000 study visas were issued last September compared to 65,000 of the previous year, there’s almost a doubling of Nigerian study visas in 2023 which means the demand is really high.

” And it is something which I am genuinely pleased and proud about that the UK has such a good higher educational sector and we are still at the six economy, and is still one of the biggest economies but we are only 2.5 per cent of the global economy.

“So we have 17 of the top 100 universities in the world. We have 17 per cent of the top universities, so it is one of our units.

“I really like the demand but there are other factors at play in terms of schooling in the UK , the value of the Naira in the coming months will also determine how easy or hard it will be for many people to afford our education.

“But I really hope that the number of people who bring dependants in UK may actually not be a majority, but a minority of people have tried to study in the UK so am hoping that the demand will be sustained.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the governors of the 36 states of the Federation, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over their failure to account for, and publish the agreements of the N5.9 trillion and $4.6 billion loans obtained by their states and the FCT, respectively.

The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/592/2024 was filed on Friday on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers – Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Valentina Adegoke, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The statement, which was made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday, asked the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr. Wike to account for N5.9trn and $4.6bn loans obtained by their states and the FCT and to publish copies of the loan agreements, location of projects executed with the loans.”

The suit is a sequel to SERAP’s demand which was addressed to the 37 respondents in a statement issued by the organisation’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare on March 31, 2024.

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, had bemoaned the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, on May 29, 2023.

Sani said the state is now left with few amounts, not enough to pay salary, adding that his administration inherited a total of $587m, N85bn and 115 contract liabilities from the ex-governor.

In the statement, SERAP urged the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr. Wike to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the spending of all the loans obtained to date by their states and the FCT.”

“Opacity in the spending of the loans obtained by the governors and Mr. Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens.”

The statement noted that many states, including the FCT, “reportedly” spend “public funds which may include the loans obtained by them to fund unnecessary travels, buy exotic and bulletproof cars and generally fund the lavish lifestyles of politicians,” adding that they are “allegedly mismanaging public funds which may include domestic and external loans obtained from bilateral and multilateral institutions and agencies.”

The organisation demanded transparency in the spending of the loans as they are “fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”

The statement equally noted that the state governors and the FCT minister “cannot hide under the excuse that the Freedom of Information Act is not applicable to their states and the FCT.”

It stated that the “legal obligations to publish the information sought are also imposed by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

While no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit, SERAP lamented that the poverty rate, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services in the country are a result of the “many years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds including the loans obtained by the states and FCT.”

SERAP quoted the Debt Management Office, saying, “The total public domestic debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N5.9 trillion. The total public external debt portfolio is $4.6 billion.”

However, SERAP said that the loans – domestic and external, as obtained by the states and the FCT are” vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement,” hence, the respondents “have a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any loans obtained by the states and FCT are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disassociated itself from a circulating report in the media alleging the release of a list of 58 ex-governors, under investigation for corruption, to the tune of N2.18 trillion.

In a press statement on Sunday, the EFCC clarified that it has not issued any such list nor discussed the investigation of the former governors with any media outlet.

According to the statement signed by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the report titled ‘EFCC Releases Full List of 58 Ex-Governors that Embezzled N2.187 Trillion,’ was “a phantom report,” deemed “false and mischievous.”

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC, feels obliged to dissociate itself from a phantom report circulating in sections of the media, claiming it has released a full list of ex-governors being investigated for alleged corruption.

“The report headlined ‘EFCC Releases  Full List of 58 Ex- Governors that Embezzled N2.187 Trillion,’ in one of the news outlets, is false and mischievous as the commission neither issued the said list nor entertained discussions on the investigation of ex-governors with any news medium.