$25bn Dollar Annual Diaspora Remittances Boost Education in Nigeria

Remittances from Diaspora Nigerians make it possible for hundreds of thousands of Nigerian children to attend school, have access to books, computers, and other educational supplies.  Approximately 200,000 children in Nigeria receive funding for their education from international remittances. Children supported by Diaspora remittances are more likely to study and less likely to drop out or resort to child labor or unwholesome non-school activities.

Nigeria is the largest remittance-receiving country of Diaspora remittances to Africa, with annual figures now at a record $25bn. This new research reveals the wide-ranging benefits of remittances to children’s education.

The findings were calculated using data from UNESCO and World Bank, as well as a recent Nigeria’s  national household survey.

According to the data, approximately 220 million children are not in school in low and middle-income countries, with 12 million of that figure living in Nigeria, the country with one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world.



According to the research, Key results include:  

• Approximately 200,000 children in Nigeria are in school as a result of receiving international remittances

• Children in Nigeria are 40% less likely to be out of school if their household receives remittances.

• Remittance-receiving households spend more on education — equivalent to a child’s set of school-books for 1.5 years.

• Children in remittance-receiving households spend less time working on non-school activities, freeing up more time for school studies

Research published in techeconomy.ng by the digital money transfer service, WorldRemit, suggests that if traditional cash-based money transfers were replaced by lower-cost digital alternatives, an additional $825 million globally would be unlocked for families to spend on children’s education.