Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Implications for Regular Nigerian Students' Migration to Ukraine

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many Nigerian immigrants were thrown into panic. The panic showed that earlier warnings of an imminent Russian invasion were not taken seriously. Ukraine is perceived by many Nigerians as a better migrant destination due to its cheap but high standard of education, relatively lower cost of living, high employment prospects, better infrastructural facilities, stable power supply, and other considerations. These alluring appeals of Ukraine have over time made Ukraine a dream destination and created a regular flow of migrants, mostly from Africa and Asia, into the Eastern European country. Nigerians constitute a quarter of the Africans resident in Ukraine. The majority of Nigerian residents were students scattered across the universities and colleges in Ukraine. The Russian invasion spelled doom for the ambitious young Nigerians in Ukraine. Academic programs and other endeavors of the Nigerian immigrants were shattered as they hurriedly left the country when Russia struck. This study, through the pull-push theory and systematic qualitative method, examines why Nigerian migrants are attracted to Ukraine and discusses the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for regular migrants from Nigeria. The findings of the study showed that most Nigerians, especially students, are attracted to Ukraine because of the educational system. However, the results also showed that some of the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war include the disruption of the various degree academic programs of Nigerians in Ukrainian universities, the abrupt end of the flow of Nigerian students to Ukraine, and the discouragement of prospective Nigerian students from applying for degree programs in Ukrainian universities, among others. It is recommended that the Nigerian government overhaul the tertiary education sector and make it more attractive to Nigerians and prospective foreign students, especially from Africa.