The restriction on the circulation of the U.S dollars initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria has forced Nigerians to patronize local schools rather than nursing the dreams of studying abroad.
The Proprietor of Premiere Academy, Abuja, Mr. Graham Meredith, has said that many pupils who would have preferred to study abroad, are now seeking admission to the nation’s universities because of high exchange rate of the naira to the dollar.
Meredith, stated this just as he said that necessary arrangements had been put in place to prepare Nigerian pupils for the challenges they will face in the country’s universities.
He said, “Nigeria universities will play a greater role in the admission of many pupils who would have travelled abroad this year to continue their education as a result of the high exchange rate of the naira to the dollar.
“Now that it is becoming pretty difficult to train pupils in foreign universities because of the rising exchange rate, more parents would be considering securing admission for their children in universities within the country.
“Most schools outside the country end their secondary school system at class five. The extra year that we have, in Nigeria, benefit the kids greatly, because they go out of here and they perform better anywhere in the world.
“Nigerians, wherever they go in the world, usually learn the language of those countries and get integrated. Most foreign universities accept degrees from Nigerian universities as pre-entry to master’s degree programmes.”
Meredith added that the government policy on the dollar would not affect his school because it did not charge tuition in hard currency.
He said, “We do not charge school fees in hard currency, so the Federal Government policy on the exchange rate will not affect us.”
The principal said his school had spent about N15m in the last five years to rehabilitate access roads, bridges, and government schools within the Lugbe Federal Housing Authority Estate.