Campbell: Nigeria Has Great Future with International Students’ Desire to Give Back

As far as Julie Campbell, International Student Advisory Manager of Ulster University UK is concerned, Nigeria is one of the beautiful nations on earth. However lopsided you think that view is, what you cannot fault is the effervescent manner the Briton has taken to Nigeria in general and Lagos in particular. Bennett Oghifo writes 

Having been to Idumota for shopping barely 24 hours upon landing in the country, International Student Advisory Manager of Ulster University UK, Julie Campbell, said what she has seen of Nigeria, especially the infectious energy of its commercial hub, contrasts sharply with the measured surroundings of Northern Ireland, one of the seemingly more tranquil nation states in the United Kingdom.

Reflecting on her experience in Africa’s most populous country, she said: “I’m having an amazing time. Honestly, everything is so vibrant and full of life. Coming from the UK, it’s a bit different here. Every time I step out, people are always greeting me with a warm ‘Hi, how are you? How are you finding it here?’ or ‘You should visit this place, you must see that.’ The friendliness is just incredible.”

Campbell continued, “The experience here has been absolutely phenomenal. This is my first time in Nigeria and Africa, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I always keep an open mind when I visit new countries, but the warmth, kindness, and genuine interest of the people have been overwhelming. The Nigerian people are so eager to talk about their country and what it has to offer and are equally interested in learning about me, Ulster University, Northern Ireland, where we’re from, and what we’re doing here.”

However, her love for Nigeria did not begin upon setting foot in Lagos; it began long before due to her observations about international students from Nigeria.

Reflecting on her observations, Campbell said, “I initially thought that the Nigerian students we’ve welcomed in the past were just being polite, but now I see this genuine warmth is a defining characteristic of the Nigerian people. This is my first time attending an in-country event like this, and it’s been an enlightening experience. In my role as International Student Advisory Manager, I offer advice and support to international students, guiding them from the offer stage right through to graduation.

“It’s a privilege to speak directly with prospective students, agents, and counsellors, to understand the challenges they face and how we can better support them—not just in terms of recruitment but also having a first-class experience and achieving successful graduate outcomes and career opportunities. We aim to support their journey and help them succeed.”

She continued, “I’m excited to share this information here in Lagos and Abuja. Nigerian students have a unique quality compared to other international students we receive from Europe, Asia, North and South America. The Nigerian community is exceptionally generous with their time and eager to give back. They are not only supportive of fellow Nigerian students but are also willing to assist any new students coming in. Their willingness to help and their big hearts really make them stand out.”

Campbell emphasised the impact of Nigerian students’ generosity, stating, “Their hearts are so open, they are continuously willing to give back and support. I am truly excited about the future of Nigeria with such passionate young people. I hope these graduates gain the experience and qualifications they desire in the UK and bring those skills back to help Nigeria grow and reach its full potential. Our graduates often express a strong desire to give back to their people and country, and we are privileged to support that ambition.”

She also highlighted the comprehensive pre-arrival support provided to students at Ulster University, including an app called UUniReady, which assists students in integrating into their new environment and ensures a smooth transition to living and learning in the UK and at Ulster University.

For the Regional Manager for Middle East and Africa at Ulster University, Niall McAleer,

the trip to Lagos was to meet with students preparing to travel to Belfast in September.

“It’s really important that we connect with our new students and by coming to Lagos, we can meet them in person and help them prepare for coming to study with us. We will look at things like preparing them with the visa process, their accommodation, what to pack, travel, how to get the university, orientation and simply to put their minds at ease. We are here to support the students so that their journey from Lagos to Northern Ireland in the UK is as smooth as possible and they can get settled quickly.

“Yes, so for us, we typically find that Lagos and Abuja are where many of our students will be located. We’re holding the event today here in Lagos and we will be hosting one in Abuja. It’s an opportunity for students in that region to come along and meet us in person as well. So, they have always proved to be very beneficial events. And that really draws in a nice crowd of students,” McAleer added. According to Niall, Ulster University is lucky with two full time members of staff based here in Nigeria, one in Lagos and one in Abuja, along with several agencies working on in partnership with the university. Country Manager for Ulster University for West Africa, basically covering Nigeria and Ghana, Temitope Ademuyiwa, described her roles as “challenging but rewarding.”

“Upon joining Ulster University, I was very skeptical about people not gravitating towards Northern Ireland, which wasn’t popular in Nigeria as a UK region in those days. People said things like ‘I don’t want to go to Northern Ireland; I want to go to UK’ and I had to start educating them about Northern Ireland being a part of the UK.

“But those who accepted at the time have lovely testimonials which has been drawing people to Ulster University till date.”

Ulster University is a top UK University with track records of overall excellence. Many of our courses are ranked between top 1-20 in the UK. Therefore, International students are bound to receive great return on their investments.

“We are welcoming and supportive: Ulster is a university that do not only preach inclusion but practice same. For instance, some of our current Students’ Union Executives are Nigerians. Our overall International Students Experience Team, the academic staff, all operate on open-door policy.

“We are international (recruiting from about 100 countries) and dynamic.

Employability: There are thousands of local and international organisations which are actively recruiting international students during and post-study. As a University, our employability rate is high commendable. I can go on and on,” Ademuyiwa enthused.

One of the students getting ready to leave for Belfast in September is Habeeb Adedapo, a media practitioner who was convinced by his younger sister. Now, he cannot wait to get started in Northern Ireland.

“I was informed or let’s say, there was a change of plan due to a piece of advice from an existing student who happens to be a younger sister. She advised me that instead of taking an offer in another European country which I already had at the time, I should come to Belfast. She first enticed me with the city, before she told me about the University, and I think I so much love the kind of experience she had and the kind of support that was given to her and I am hoping to have the same. I am thinking of what to do post-study, depending on what comes,” Adedapo said.

Upon the team’s visit to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, Julie Campbell said she was thrilled to extend the visit to Abuja, noting: “This expansion aims to provide exceptional support and opportunities for Nigerian students aspiring to study in the UK. As a highly reputable institution, Ulster University offers a comprehensive support system from pre-arrival to graduation, ensuring a smooth transition and rewarding academic experience for Nigerian students. I’m thrilled to see the rising number of Nigerians choosing Ulster University as their institution of choice in the highly competitive UK market. This trend is a testament to several key factors that make Ulster University stand out.”

 She said Nigerians recognise the high calibre of programmes on offer at Ulster University meticulously designed to support their career aspirations, not only academically rigorous but also tailored to equip students with the practical skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen fields along with exceptional pre-arrival to graduation support.

Renowned for its diverse range of disciplines including business, IT and engineering, health sciences, and the arts, officials of Ulster University are proud to be a preferred choice for Nigerian students and remain committed to continuing the tradition of excellence, support, and hospitality.

According to Recruitment Coordinator in Nigeria, Olusola Opaluwa, being a global brand with incredible national and international ratings across facilities, teaching faculty, student experience, employability and affordability have made Ulster University really appealing to Nigerians.

“As one of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) most dynamic and innovative universities, there are enormous benefits for choosing to study at Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK. To mention a few, they include being a multi-campus institution with three campuses across Northern Ireland home to students from over 100 countries; state-of-the-art facilities, a robust curriculum, over 500 courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, a faculty comprised of leading experts in various fields as well as national and international reputation for excellence in teaching, research, innovation and entrepreneurship; the various teams available to support the whole student experience (accommodation, visa compliance, student advisory, student well-being, a welcome and orientation, careers service, etc).

“Also, as students consider affordability when settling for an institution, Northern Ireland is considered one of the most affordable student cities in the UK, and offers a wide range of cultural, social and historic places to visit; we have active partnerships with universities across the globe for student exchange and placement, and research opportunities; and the people are very warm and welcoming by disposition particularly to international students,” she submitted.