Headline

Japa: Six Must-have Documents To Study In Canada

Published

3 years ago

February 10, 2023

Editor

For many Nigerians, the study route is one of the easiest and fastest way to ‘japa’ and Canada is one of the most preferred destinations for international students.

Each year, hundreds of Nigerians migrate to Canada. The government recently revealed that it was opening doors to 1.5 million migrants between 2023 and 2025.

So, are you seeking to move to Canada through a student visa? Here are six must-have documents required for a successful ‘japa’ trip.

1. Valid passport

You cannot successfully migrate to Canada without a valid passport. Your passport is your identity, as it shows the country you’re from and whether or not you migrated legally, as well as the type or category of visa approved.

A passport is usually issued by your country of origin. The Nigeria Immigration Service is charged with the responsibility of issuing passports in the country.

It is important to apply for and be issued this document before starting your admission process.

2. Previous Degree Certificate

Lastly, as an international student seeking to be admitted into a Canadian university, you will usually be asked to upload a copy of your university certificate.

However, for undergraduate admission, an o-level or diploma certificate will be required.

3. Academic transcript

As an international student seeking admission in Canada, particularly for Masters, you must be able to provide your academic transcript from your university here in Nigeria.

An academic transcript, also known as Transcript of Records is a vital record when applying to study abroad and it aids the higher educational institutions in gauging the abilities, qualifications and understanding of the candidate for a particular course.

4. Statement of purpose

Universities abroad will require you to submit your application with a Statement of Purpose that articulates your career path and goals. This helps them in choosing the right candidate for the courses offered by them.

A statement of purpose is usually a document which gives reasons why you are applying to the school and why you should be given admission to study your chosen course.

Knowing how to prepare this document and writing it according to the demands of the school you are applying to is a plus.

5. Reference letters

A majority of universities abroad require a reference letter. A reference letter is a recommendation from someone who knows you well and can vouch for your abilities.

This letter helps the university admission committee to know and understand more about you. It is a great tool that showcases your skills and abilities as recognised by your referee.

It serves as a validation of your resume for both academic and/or professional experiences · It gives a third-person opinion of your candidature. If you’re seeking to study in Canada, you should get at least three reference letters. However, the number of reference letters required from international students depends on the school.

6. Proof of English Language Proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)

Although many Africans can speak the English Language, Africa as a continent does not have a common language. So, you will be required to prove that you understand the language.

English Language proficiency scores are essential both for admissions as well as while applying for visa

It is for this reason that many schools in Canada require you to sit for IELTS/TOEFL or any other standardised English test. However, in recent times, some schools have stopped requesting this.

It is important to note that depending on university, requirements may defer, however, the six documents listed above are most times a most-have for international students seeking to study in Canada.

Headline

Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clashes Escalate After Alleged Air Strikes

Published

5 hours ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Afghanistan’s Taliban forces launched armed reprisals against Pakistani soldiers along the shared border on Saturday, accusing Islamabad of carrying out air strikes on its soil, senior officials from several provinces said Saturday.

On Thursday, two explosions were heard in the Afghan capital and another in the southeast of the country. The following day, the Taliban-run defence ministry blamed the attacks on Pakistan, accusing its neighbor of violating its sovereignty.

“In retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul,” Taliban forces are engaged “in heavy clashes against Pakistani security forces in various areas” along the border, the Afghan military said in a statement.

Islamabad did not confirm that it was behind Thursday’s attacks, but called on Kabul “to stop harbouring the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil.”

The TTP, trained in combat in Afghanistan and claiming to share the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban, is accused by Islamabad of having killed hundreds of its soldiers since 2021.

Taliban officials from Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost, and Helmand provinces — all located on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan — confirmed that clashes were ongoing.

“This evening, Taliban forces began using weapons. We fired first light and then heavy artillery at four points along the border,” a senior official in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan, told AFP.

“Pakistani forces responded with heavy fire and shot down three Afghan quadcopters suspected of carrying explosives. Intense fighting continues, but so far, no casualties have been reported,” he continued.

– Uptick in violence –

In recent months, TTP militants have intensified their campaign of violence against Pakistani security forces in the mountainous areas bordering Afghanistan.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel militants who use Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation denied by authorities in Kabul.

The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence — largely directed at security forces.

Earlier this year, a UN report said the TTP “receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities”, referring to the Taliban government in Kabul.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament on Thursday that several efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban to stop backing the TTP had failed.

“We will not tolerate this any longer,” Asif said. “United, we must respond to those facilitating them, whether the hideouts are on our soil or Afghan soil.”

Earlier Saturday, the TTP claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in several districts in northwest Pakistan that killed 20 security officials and three civilians.

AFP

Headline

Taliban Attacks Kill 23 In Northwestern Pakistan

Published

9 hours ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in several northwestern districts that killed 20 security officials and three civilians.

The attacks, which included a suicide bombing on a police training school, were carried out on Friday in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

Militancy has surged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the withdrawal of US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 and the return of the Taliban government in Kabul.

Eleven paramilitary troops were killed in the border Khyber district, while seven policemen were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the gate of a police training school, which was followed by a gun attack.

Five people, including three civilians, were killed in a separate clash in Bajaur district, security officials told AFP on Saturday.

The Pakistani Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attacks in messages on social media. The group is separate from but closely linked with the Afghan Taliban.

The attacks came hours after Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of “violating Kabul’s sovereign territory”, a day after two explosions were heard in the capital.

Pakistan did not say if it was behind the blasts in Kabul, but said it had the right to defend itself against surging border militancy.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to expel militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, an accusation that authorities in Kabul deny.

The TTP and its affiliates are behind most of the violence — largely directed at security forces.

Including Friday’s attacks, at least 32 Pakistani troops and three civilians have been killed this week alone in the border regions.

AFP

Headline

US Threatens To Sanction Countries That Vote For Shipping Carbon Tax

Published

9 hours ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The United States on Friday threatened to impose sanctions and take other punitive action against any country that votes in favor of a carbon tax on maritime transportation to be implemented through a UN agency.

“We will fight hard to protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support” the Net Zero Framework, said a joint statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts at the departments of energy and transportation.

Members of the London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) are set to vote next week on the adoption of the Net Zero Framework (NZF) agreement aimed at reducing global carbon emissions from the shipping sector.

Washington, however, described the proposal as imposing “a global carbon tax on the world.”

Since returning to power in January, US President Donald Trump has reversed Washington’s course on climate change, denouncing it as a “scam” and encouraging fossil fuel use by deregulation.

In the statement, Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration “unequivocally rejects” the NZF proposal.

They threatened a range of punishing actions against countries that vote in favor of the framework, including: visa restrictions; blocking vessels registered in those countries from US ports; imposing commercial penalties; and considering sanctions on officials.

“The United States will be moving to levy these remedies against nations that sponsor this European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations,” the statement said.