Emerging Trends in International Student Recruitment in Africa

Africa is one of the most misunderstood markets in international student recruitment, and Amo Kubeyinje is tired of institutions treating it as a monolith. The Director of International Recruitment at Canisius University joins Scott Miller on Higher Ed Chats to talk through what's actually shifting on the continent, from how students think about degree destinations to how a growing number of African universities are competing for their own talent.

The numbers Scott opens with are hard to ignore. Higher education enrollment across Africa has more than doubled since 2000, rising from roughly 4% to 9% of the 15-35 demographic, a cohort that UNESCO puts at over 400 million people. That growth isn't just producing more outbound students; it's reshaping where those students go. US and UK institutions have long been the default destination, but visa difficulty has started redirecting students elsewhere. As Amo puts it: "As visas are more difficult to get for those countries, we're seeing the shift to places like India. We're seeing the shift to Eastern European countries, especially for students who are thinking of getting into medicine." For institutions that assumed their brand name alone would hold, this is a wake-up call.

The conversation also challenges a dated assumption about what African students want from higher education. Amo describes a student population that's increasingly motivated by purpose-driven programs: sustainability, climate, social justice. "The current students are really looking for programs that trend towards a purpose-driven education," he says. STEM and business remain strong draws, but institutions that lead only with those programs are missing part of the picture. Amo also points to two countries specifically, Rwanda and Ghana, as examples of deliberate policy investment in becoming regional higher education hubs, a trend worth watching for anyone tracking intra-African mobility flows.

And then there's the brain drain question. Amo flips the script on this one entirely, describing how returnees from the US and Europe are now fueling tech and healthcare growth back home. "That's a brain gain as opposed to a brain drain," he says. Over the next 10-15 years, that dynamic could change the calculus for how African students weigh studying abroad versus staying closer to home.

Recruiting from Africa requires more than a strong brand and a scholarship page. This episode covers what institutions actually need to do differently, from rethinking visa support messaging to building the first-year structures that make or break retention. If Africa is part of your international recruitment strategy, or you're considering adding it, hear the full conversation.

Who’s in the episode?

Amo Kubeyinje is the Director of Graduate Admissions and International Recruitment at Canisius University in Buffalo, New York. Amo was born in Nigeria before emigrating to the U.S. With 20 years of experience in higher education, Amo is an expert enrollment management professional with a recruitment focus on diversity and multiculturalism.

Scott Miller is the host of Keystone Higher Ed Chats and the Executive Director of Keystone's international division, bringing over 11 years of EdTech experience to conversations about global education.

After graduating from DePauw University, living and working in different cultures showed him that stepping outside your comfort zone doesn't just broaden your horizons; it reshapes them entirely. That belief in the transformative power of international experiences brought Scott to Keystone in 2010, where he's spent over a decade (and counting) helping higher education institutions reach students worldwide.

On Keystone Higher Ed Chats, Scott speaks with thought-leaders in the industry about what he's most passionate about: how education changes lives, how cultural experiences broaden perspectives at any age, and how Keystone's mission—connecting students with their ideal higher education institution—makes those life-changing moments possible.

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

Takeaways

Build arrival and first-year support before you recruit more African students
African international students face compounding challenges on arrival: English proficiency gaps, cultural adjustment, and limited prior exposure to Western academic norms. Amo Kubeyinje points to structured first-year support as a decisive factor in whether students persist. Institutions that recruit aggressively without building this infrastructure are setting students up to fail. Audit your onboarding before you expand your pipeline.

Expand your Africa targeting well beyond Nigeria
Nigeria dominates most institutions' thinking about African recruitment, but the real story is broader. Amo highlights Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Francophone West Africa as key sending regions, with South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana emerging as destinations drawing intra-African students. For institutions targeting Africa, a single-country strategy leaves a growing, mobile student population largely untouched.

Visa difficulty is actively redirecting African students away from the US and UK
This isn't anecdotal. As Amo puts it directly: "As visas are more difficult to get for those countries, we're seeing the shift to places like India. We're seeing the shift to Eastern European countries, especially for students who are thinking of getting into medicine." Institutions in markets with more accessible visa pathways have a real opening. Those in the US and UK should invest in proactive visa guidance as part of their conversion support.

Add purpose-driven programs to your Africa messaging, don't lead with STEM alone
Current African students "are really looking for programs that trend towards a purpose-driven education," according to Amo. Sustainability, climate action, and social justice are pulling interest away from purely STEM or business-focused programs. If your recruitment content for African markets leads only with technology and business outcomes, you're missing a meaningful segment. Review your program highlight mix.

Position Rwanda and Ghana as credible study destinations, not just stopovers
Both countries are making deliberate policy investments to become regional higher education hubs, Amo notes. Institutions partnering with or operating in these markets are ahead of a trend that mirrors the earlier growth of India as a destination. For institutions building international partnership strategies, these two markets deserve explicit attention now rather than in five years.

The 'brain drain' narrative is outdated, build returnee networks into your alumni strategy
Amo reframes African talent flows: "That's a brain gain as opposed to a brain drain." Diaspora graduates are returning with skills, capital, and networks that are actively shaping tech and healthcare sectors across the continent. Institutions that stay connected to African alumni as they return home hold a real relationship asset. That network is worth cultivating through dedicated alumni engagement, not just annual giving asks.

Higher Ed Chats

April 23, 2026

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Emerging Trends in International Student Recruitment in Africa

Who’s in the episode?

Amo Kubeyinje

Scott Miller

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

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