2027: I’ll impose ban on Nigerian students below 18 from studying abroad – Donald Duke

Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has proposed restricting Nigerians below the age of 18 from obtaining visas to study abroad.

Duke made the proposal while speaking on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he also advocated a major overhaul of Nigeria’s secondary school education system.

The former governor said students in Senior Secondary School 1 to 3 (SS1–SS3) should receive greater emphasis on practical and vocational education rather than being prepared solely for university admission.

“For me, SS1 to SS3 should be purely skills acquisition,” Duke said.

He argued that students should be helped to identify areas where they have natural abilities and receive practical training that could provide them with a means of livelihood after secondary school.

“They should be able to identify what they have a flair for — masonry, plumbing, whatever,” he said.

According to Duke, secondary education should equip young Nigerians with practical skills regardless of whether they eventually proceed to university.

Duke Opposes Early Foreign Education

The former governor also proposed restricting educational visas for Nigerian children below 18, arguing that they should complete their secondary education in Nigeria before pursuing studies abroad.

“I’ll ensure that no child… is given a visa for education except it’s from university level up,” he said.

Duke expressed concern that sending children abroad at a very young age could weaken their connection to Nigerian culture and leave them struggling to fully identify with either society.

“When you start sending kids at the age of nine abroad, you’re deculturalizing,” he said.

He added that such children could eventually find themselves caught between two cultures.

“They end up going there, they are neither citizens there, they’ll never be accepted there, and they can’t fit in here,” Duke said.

He further argued that keeping Nigerian children in the country through secondary school would help retain educational expenditure within the domestic economy, create employment and encourage investment in Nigeria’s education sector.

Calls for Curriculum Reform

Duke also advocated a major review of Nigeria’s education curriculum to make it more relevant to the changing global economy.

He called for greater emphasis on emerging fields, including information technology and other technology-driven disciplines.

“We need to look at information technology, cybertronics, and all those things,” he said.

The presidential candidate said the proposed reforms would help Nigerian students acquire practical skills, become economically productive and better prepare themselves for the demands of the modern workforce.

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