Over 25,000 sign petition asking UK to scrap International English Language Testing System for Nigerians

OVER 25,000 people have signed a petition to stop foreign institutions from demanding an English proficiency test from Nigerians seeking to school in the UK as it is not necessary given that Nigeria is an Anglophone country.

At the moment, the UK lists Nigerian students as among those who need to take the mandatory International English Language Testing System (IELTS) before being given student visas. However, protesting the development, campaigners have put a petition together addressed to the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Initiated by a youth-led open-source platform for policy ideas that addresses the world’s most pressing challenges called Policy Shapers, the petition points that  no country in Africa, out of the 27 who list English as one of their official languages, is on the Home Office list of countries exempted from taking the test. However, the UK Home Office has exempted Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and 10 other countries from taking the test.

Many foreign universities, who are either in English-speaking countries or have courses taught in the language, demand the IELTS as a requirement for admitting international students. However, Policy Shapers argues that a test that costs more than three times the minimum wage and the result expires in two years, should not be required of Nigerians since the country is English speaking.

Ebenezer Wikina, the founder of Policy Shapers, stated that the campaign became necessary after observing that many Nigerians had lost opportunities because they could not afford the cost of the test despite having tertiary education in the English language. His campaign even received the endorsement of Nigeria's vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who stated that Nigerians deserved an exemption from the test as a former British colony.

Mr Wikina said: “While advocating for this as a team, we found that there were many more young Africans who felt strongly about the issue, so we set up a task force with over 70 volunteers and we have all been working to push the movement together. Everything came together organically and at the moment, our petition has over 25,000 signatures with more than 2,000 comments in support of this advocacy movement.”

In addition, Mr Wikina, who contributed to making an American institution, Nexford University, change its English language admission requirement, stated that the campaign would go on as long as needed. He added that it would benefit Nigerian students who wish to study abroad but have been faced with the hurdle of passing the IELTS.

“We are happy to keep this campaign going for as long as we live. It is the right thing to do and we owe it to our generation and our children’s generation.

“Seeing that we have been able to get the issue to the table of the vice president of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and he has assured us of his commitment to work on it, we believe change will come soon. A change in the policy would make life easier for Nigerian students who wish to study abroad or access opportunities because now the ultimate English proficiency barrier has been removed,” Mr Wikina stated.

While the UK Home Office is yet to respond to the think tank’s request for an explanation on why Nigeria is not exempted, Policy Shapers have increased the target of the petition to 35,000 signatures.