UK universities withdraw admission offers to Nigerian students

Some United Kingdom universities have withdrawn admission offers to Nigerian students as the British government tightens visa rules for international applicants, according to a Financial Times report cited by Punch.

The offers, mostly to Nigerian and Pakistani applicants, were revoked in the first half of 2026.

“Universities are revoking offers en masse made to international applicants from countries including Nigeria and Pakistan as they fear the UK government’s visa crackdown will result in a ban on their recruiting international students,” the report stated.

About 10.5 per cent of study visa applications to the UK were withdrawn in the period, up from 2.3 per cent a year earlier. For Nigeria, the figure was 22.7 per cent, against 4.5 per cent in the first half of 2025.

Data from visa processing firm Enroly showed nearly half of universities have refusal rates above the five per cent threshold, which could lead to a ban on recruiting international students.

Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, warned, “This is going to result in restructures, which inevitably result in job losses, course closures, campus closures”.