We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Nigerians made up the largest number of sub-Saharan African students in Ukraine when Russia invaded a year ago, forcing thousands to flee and halting their degrees. Despite the ongoing war, universities in Ukraine and Nigeria teamed up last year to help those students complete their degrees. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, Nigeria.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptUKR 1YR: NIGERIA UKRAINE STUDENTS (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Nigerian Students Evacuated from Ukraine Study Online after Russia's Invasion
TEASER:
PUBLISHED: 2/23/2023
BYLINE: Timothy Obiezu
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Abuja, Nigeria
VIDEOGRAPHER: Timothy Obiezu
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Schearf, Bowman
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Theophilus, Kamani, Zoom
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:46
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
Nigerians made up the largest number of sub-Saharan African students in Ukraine when Russia invaded a year ago, forcing thousands to flee and halting their degrees. Despite the ongoing war, universities in Ukraine and Nigeria teamed up last year to help those students complete their degrees. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, Nigeria.
((NARRATOR))
Nigerian medical student Abigail Theophilus gets emotional when she looks at the selfies she took with her classmates at Ukraine’s Sumy State University last year, the day before Russia invaded.
((Abigail Theophilus, Nigerian Medical Student)) ((English))
"That morning I went to get an x-ray done and I went into town and everywhere was empty, people were lining up to get food. And at first the threat of war was, it was a regular thing in Eastern Europe to hear about war, but this was serious, people had left, everywhere was scanty."
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory Courtesy: Abigail Theophilus))
Ukraine says there were about 76,000 foreign students studying in the country, more than 4,000 of them Nigerians, when Russia attacked.
Egyptians and Moroccans were among the largest groups from Africa, which accounted for about a quarter of the total foreign students, who mostly fled on their own.
About 1,800 Nigerians were evacuated weeks into the war. Theophilus said they took a bus and later a train to reach Lviv and escape the fighting.
((Abigail Theophilus, Nigerian Medical Student)) ((English))
"In Sumy state it was difficult for anybody to leave, so the day I realized I needed to leave was when, during the evening time, there was a missile that was sent to one for their powerhouse, and I saw it pass. I've never seen a missile before. The explosion happened and it was night but everywhere looked as bright as day and it dawned on me that this was actually war."
((NARRATOR))
Safely back in Nigeria, their studies were put on hold until October last year when a deal between Ukrainian and Nigerian universities let students continue their pursuing their degrees.
Igbinedion University is one of the Nigerian schools enrolling students who left Ukraine.
But the interruption in studies was a big setback, says Kofowuraola Adewole, who enrolled months ago.
((Kofowuraola Adewole, Nigerian Medical Student)) ((English))
"I wouldn't say it's been a great experience to have this big change in my life but I'm just grateful that I did start university despite the fact that the Nigerian university system itself took me like two years back. I'm supposed to graduate like next year but unfortunately, I'm supposed to graduate in like three and half years’ time, which is a big change for me."
((VIDEO-VOA: STREETS))
((NARRATOR))
Igbinedion University did not respond to requests for comment on the program.
Nigerian students are used to education disruptions from periodic teacher strikes that can sometimes last for months.
((VIDEO-KAMANI: FOREIGN STUDENTS, KAMANI - VARIOUS))
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory Courtesy: Elijah Kamani))
And not all foreign students chose to flee Ukraine, despite the ongoing fighting.
Nigerian medical student Elijah Kamani stayed in Vinnytsia, a town in west-central Ukraine, southwest of Kyiv, that has not yet been hit by the war.
((VIDEO-ZOOM: KAMANI))
((Elijah Kamani, Nigerian Medical Student in Ukraine)) ((English)) ((Zoom))
"As the summer arrived, a lot of tourists and other people began to come back and the city was vibrant, it had life in it. I didn't see the need to leave at that point, so I stayed during the summer. I enjoyed it as normal people would even though there were threats. We had air alarms, we had to go to bunkers."
((NARRATOR))
Both the foreign students who remained in Ukraine and those that fled can only hope that the war ends as soon as possible.
((Timothy Obiezu, for VOA News, Abuja, Nigeria.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Abuja, Nigeria
Embargo DateFebruary 23, 2023 19:39 EST
Byline((Timothy Obiezu, for VOA News, Abuja, Nigeria.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
