What exactly is Malaysia's stand on Nigerian Students?

In the early 2000's Malaysia opened up its education sector to international students especially African students.Universities and colleges launched aggressive marketing strategies to tap into middle class families in countries like Kenya,Botswana and Nigeria.The response was enormous.African student population skyrocketed in 2006,2007.Government sponsored students from Botswana came in hundreds every year,and soon also government sponsored Nigerian students were being admitted in Universities all over Malaysia.

Malaysia is reaping big from direct investment from the huge African student population in the country.Which is estimated to be well over 4000.Malaysia is attractive to international students mainly because of affordable higher quality education.The relaxed Visa laws(as compared to US or UK), make it a rising attraction to African students.Cheaper tuition fees and living expenses are also pulling factors.

But it seems colleges all across Malaysia are changing their attitudes towards admission of Nigeria students.Fewer and fewer Nigerian students are being admitted to colleges in Malaysia.In some cases some colleges are not admitting Nigerian students.

An official from one of the private universities in Malaysia(who refused to be named for job-security reasons),told me that his college is no longer admitting Nigerian students since last year.He cited indisciplne,low completion rates and security issues as the main reasons.He went as far as to say that the Malaysian government has directed a thorough vetting of all Nigerian students who seek to study in malaysia.He claimed that the colleges were even given figures of how many nigerian students they should admit,and the main point was to keep them at a minimal.

This is indeed a worrying trend.It is sad that many genuine Nigerian students who want to seek an education in Malaysia will not get the chance.In colleges like Nilai Internatinal University,INTI university and UCSI,the number of new Nigerian intakes have fallen to new lows,With some not admitting Nigerian students at all.Infact a university in Cheras near Kuala Lumpur is said to have sent over 150 Nigerians back home after a discplinary issue.

The perception among african students is that Nigerian students are an unwelcome lot in Malaysia.It would be inorder for the malaysian government to state its stand on the issue,so that it can be clear what is the future of many bright Nigerian students who wish to explore further studies in malaysia.

Kofi Annan Spills the Beans on Kibaki

Finally Kofi Annan has spoken of what exactly transpired during the negotiations leading to the signing of the National Accord that saw ODM and PNU form a coalition government after the rigged election that led to violence last year.

The Standard has published the story on today's edition.Annan details how Kibaki was literally a slave to his PNU cronies who did not want anything to do with a coalition government.Kibaki had to be pushed to agree to create a prime ministers office by Kofi Annan.Ofcourse this is not news to Kenyans who know too well that PNU and Kibaki were not bothered by the death of Kenyans due to political instability.

Again,Annan mentions Kalonzo Musyoka's name as one of those people who were out to derail the negotiations.

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