According to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange , 514 million dollars was contributed to the U.S. economy in 2018 by 13,423 Nigerian  international students studying in the US

This data ranks Nigeria as 11th country of origin with the most foreign students studying in the US for the 2018/19 school year. 

Nigerians make up 1.2 per cent of the total number of 1,095,299 international students in the country.

 5,689 of the Nigerian students are at the undergraduate level, 5,274 at the graduate level, 367 at the non-degree students, and 2,093 on Optional Practical Training (working to acquire experience and training in their field of study).

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria is the only African country in the top 20 places of origin for international students in the U.S.

China holds the top position with 369,548 students, followed by India with 202,014, South Korea (52,250), Saudi Arabia (37,080), and Canada rounding out the top five with 26,122 students.

According to the report, international students account for 5.5 per cent of the total U.S. higher education population.

The UK, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Ireland, China, Australia, Costa Rica, and Japan were study destinations for American citizens, hosting an average of 18,000 students each.

South Africa occupies the 11th position on the table as host to 6,001 American students in 2017/18.

“We are happy to see the continued growth in the number of international students in the United States and U.S. students studying abroad,” said Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

That $514 million could better serve the Nigerian economy, don't you agree?