The Academic International English Language Testing System Examinations (IELTS) will now cost Nigerians N107,500.
Nigerians would start paying the new charge starting in September 2023, according to the British Council, which organises the assessment test for immigrants intending to work or study in the UK and Canada. Currently, the fee is between N80,000 and N90,000.
The British Council issued a brief message that began, “Dear valued test taker, We would like to inform you that there will be a price rise for IELTS examinations administered by the British Council from 01 September 2023.
The new costs for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), and Life Skills are N107,500, N116,000, and N104, respectively. The increased costs are required to maintain the high requirements for your testing procedure. We appreciate you selecting the British Council.
For the vast majority of Nigerians who view the UK as their preferred location for job or study, the change may be a big problem.
Any person from a foreign nation who wishes to relocate to the UK in order to pursue employment or educational possibilities must take the IELTS exam.
With many choosing the education visa route and bringing dependents with them, the UK continues to be one of the top choices for Nigerians looking for better educational opportunities and a better way of life abroad.
21,305 Nigerians are studying at UK universities during 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.
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.
