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Japa: New UK Gov’t Confirms Opportunities For International Students

Published

1 year ago

July 27, 2024

The United Kingdom has pledged to make its educational system more accessible to international students.

The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, gave the assurance at the Embassy Education conference on Tuesday.

Phillipson emphasised the UK’s commitment to fostering global educational partnerships. “I want to refresh old partnerships and grow new ones, not just at home but around the world too. By joining forces in education, we can build new bridges between our nations.”

Addressing the inconsistent policies of previous governments towards international students, Phillipson highlighted a history of mixed messaging and exploitation for political gain.

She criticised the former government’s approach, noting that international students were often treated as “political footballs” rather than valued guests.

She pointed out that while their tuition fees were welcomed, their presence was resented.

LEADERSHIP reports that in what is now commonly known as the ‘Japa Syndrome’ in Nigeria, skilled Nigerians and education seekers were leaving the country for Europe and other developed countries in search of greener pastures.

Phillipson however assured that the current government would take a different and more supportive approach towards international students.

She also emphasised that international students are welcome in the UK and that the new government values their contributions to universities, communities, and the country.

Phillipson expressed a desire for Britain to welcome those who come to study and meet the requirements, highlighting a commitment to fostering a supportive environment for international students.

While highlighting the importance of international partnerships in spreading opportunity, she said, “Our international partnerships are central to this drive to spread opportunity far and wide. The more we work together, the more progress we will see in the world – partners in the push for better.”

Phillipson commended the bravery of international students, acknowledging their significant courage in moving to a new culture far from their homes and families.

She highlighted their willingness to take a leap of faith to develop new skills and chase new opportunities. Expressing pride in the UK’s appeal to these students, Phillipson stated that she is enormously proud that so many choose to come to the UK.

She assured that the government would do everything possible to support their success and help them achieve their goals.

The Secretary of State for Education further emphasised the post-study opportunities available to international students in the UK, noting the government’s commitment to supporting their transition into the workforce.

She mentioned that international students can remain in the UK on a graduate visa for two years after completing their studies or three years for PhD graduates, allowing them to work, live, and contribute to the community.

She concluded by acknowledging the significant impact of international students on the UK.

“The UK wouldn’t be the same without them. Arts, music, culture, sport, food, language, humour – international students drive dynamism on so many levels. And of course, their contribution to the British economy is substantial.

“Each international student adds about £100,000 to our national prosperity. This impact is not just a national statistic. It’s felt in towns and cities right across the country,” Phillipson said.

Headline

TikTok Bans 49,512 Live Sessions In Nigeria As Creators Stream Sex Romps

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

For the first time, TikTok has shared data on its enforcement of Live Monetization guidelines, following a surge in users going live during sexual activity. The platform released the figures during its West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, held in partnership with AfricTivistes.

In the second quarter of 2025, TikTok took action, including warnings and demonetization, against 2,321,813 Live sessions and 1,040,356 Live creators for violating its Live Monetization guidelines.

In Nigeria alone, 49,512 Live sessions were banned during the same period.

The Summit brought together senior government officials, policy experts, NGOs, regulators, media representatives, and industry leaders from West African nations, including Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Ethiopia.

Delegates discussed strategies to strengthen user protection and content moderation frameworks tailored to regional challenges.

The event marked a pivotal moment for TikTok’s regional safety efforts and its commitment to upholding global safety standards across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Experts shared insights, examined online safety challenges, and explored collaborative measures under TikTok’s #SaferTogether initiative.

TikTok’s Outreach and Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Duduzile Mkhize, emphasized the platform’s commitment to enhancing user security through stakeholder collaboration.

She stated: “While global, we remain hyper-local in our day-to-day efforts. The dialogue at this Summit is invaluable because only through insights sharing and collaboration with policymakers and local partners across West Africa can we prevent a fragmented and insecure digital environment.

“United action can help us guarantee a safe space for our community to discover, create, and connect responsibly.”

A key partner in this effort is Nigeria’s Dr. Akinola Olojo, expert on preventing and countering violent extremism, and member of TikTok’s Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council.

He said: “The convening of various stakeholders in Dakar, sharing insights for collaborative action, proves that the work we do alongside TikTok is not in vain.

“We must move beyond reactive measures and continue to build proactive systems that empower communities to resist radicalization and leverage online spaces for positive social impact.”

Globally, TikTok removed over 189 million videos in the same quarter, representing just 0.7% of all content uploaded. Of these, 163.9 million were flagged by AI-driven moderation systems.

Notably, 99.1% of removals were detected proactively, and 94.4% were taken down within 24 hours. The platform also removed 76,991,660 fake accounts, alongside 25,904,708 accounts suspected to belong to users under the age of 13.

In Nigeria, TikTok removed 3,780,426 videos between April and June 2025 for violating Community Guidelines. Impressively, 98.7% were removed before being viewed, and 91.9% were taken down within 24 hours.

The data, released in TikTok’s Quarter 2 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, underscores the platform’s ongoing commitment to creating a safe digital space for its users.

Headline

Nnamdi Kanu’s Case Proof Of Religious Persecution In Nigeria – US lawmaker, John James

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

Former chairman of the Africa Subcommittee and now a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative, John James, has claimed that the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is proof of religious persecution in Nigeria.

James stated this when the United States House Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday, held a public hearing to review President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

The hearing in Washington, DC included senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.

James claimed that in the case of Nnamdi Kanu, Nigeria’s Court of Appeal had struck down the charges against him and ordered his release in 2022.

He said: “Religious persecution is tied to political repression and weakening institutions in Nigeria. The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a clear example.

“In 2022, Nigeria’s Court of Appeals struck down the charges against him and ordered his release.

“The UN Working Group for Arbitrary Detention has also called for his unconditional release, yet he remains in solitary confinement in deteriorating health and recently had to represent himself in court.

“Nigeria has signaled that the law is optional and targeting Christians is fair game. Just hours ago this morning, despite the pleas and cries of Nigerian people and many Nigerian lawmakers, Kanu was convicted on all charges.”

Nnamdi Kanu was on Thursday, sentenced to life imprisonment over terrorism charges.

Headline

Nigerians Don’t Trust Their Govt – US Congressman Riley Moore

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

US Congressman Riley Moore has said that Nigerian people do not trust their government.

Moore stated this on Thursday at US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, which is investigating Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’, CPC.

“The Nigerian people don’t trust their government. ‘How can you trust a government that doesn’t show up when you ask them to?

“The Nigerian government must work with the US in cooperation to address these insecurity issues.

“A case that just happened recently in Plateau state. We had a pastor there who warned the Nigerian government that they were under attack. There’s imminent attack forces here in the next 24 hours. Please come and help us.

“The Nigerian government did not only ignore it but put up a press release that it is fake news,” he said.

Moore would be meeting with a delegation of senior members of the Nigerian government, over the devastating insecurity in Nigeria and the US designation of the country as CPC, DAILY POST reports.