‘I no get option but to return to Ukraine’ – Nigerian student

Just one year ago, di Nigerian medical student for Ukraine dey try find safe passage to leave di kontri afta di Russian bombardment start on 24 February.

But as no oda studying options dey, Oyewumi Azeez Olawale return go Ukraine later in di year for another term. Now, e wan travel go there again.

“I dey go back Ukraine because I gatz finish my final year, write my exams and collect my certificate,” di 28-year-old tok.

“Options no dey for me for Nigeria,” e add.

Ukraine na home to more than 80,000 foreign students for 2020, nearly a quarter come from Africa.

Some dey consider to return to Ukraine as dem dey struggle to find somewhere to finish dia studies.

For Mr Olawale, di choice dey easy.

For July 2022, di Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (MCDN) say dem no go any longer accept degrees from Ukrainian universities wey dey awarded online. Ghana medical council copy dis move two months later.

“I need to finish my degree in pesin,” Mr Olawale tok.

E get luck say where e dey study dey far from di place where di war dey happun.

Olawale dey for im final year for di National University for Uzhgorod, wey dey shielded from di destruction of di war as e dey western Ukraine near di border wit Slovakia.

“My city dey safe and na di best option for me,” Olawale tell BBC.

Odas no get lucky like dat.

Fehintola “Moses” Damilola

Fehintola “Moses” Damilola
Some of Fehintola “Moses” Damilola’s fellow students don go back Sumy to take dia final exams

Ukraine na hotspot for those wey dey find affordable education for Europe, as e dey known dia straight-forward visa processes, low tuition fees and high standard of schooling.

Afta dem send plenty years dey save money for dia degrees, to return home no be option for many students.

But finding a new kontri to finish dia studies too no dey easy.

Like many Nigerian medical students, Fehintola “Moses” Damilola, wey bin dey study for Sumy near di Russian border, dey struggle to continue im classes online, especially afta authorities tok say dem no go recognize online degrees.

“We don dey scramble then,” Mr Damilola tok.

“I no wan go back Ukraine right now,” e explain. “Di experience of being stuck in Sumy as di bombardment start plus di difficulty in getting out dey very traumatic,” he add.

Even at dat, Damilola sabi sabi Indian students wey don return as final exams dey approach.

Dem waive last year sake of di war. But dis year, di Ukrainian exam authority don tok say di exam go hold in person in Kyiv on 14 March.

Attending mean say you go sign waiver to “accept all safety risks”, na so di email wey dem send to students read.

Alternative option dey available for those “wey no wan return to Ukraine” in di form of “140 computer testing centres all around di world”, although timelines for dat neva still dey clear.

“Di test centres for oda no dey feasible right now, so a lot of us dey reason to go back.”

Victoria Osseme

Victoria Osseme
Victoria Osseme bin stay for Ukraine

As some students dey reason to go back Ukraine, others, like Victoria Osseme, no comot di kontri.

Di Nigerian national dey call herself “di only black female for Kharkiv, Ukraine”.

Afta she don do two degrees, and don spend nine years for di kontri, she say she don “become Ukrainian”.

“I no fit leave dem for dat kain hard time,” she add.

“I gatz support dem and di best way to do na to stay, to share for dia pain.”

But while many students fit no dey so loyal to Ukraine some, wey no fit get visas to stay for anoda place, don dey try to return, despite di war, as dat na di only viable option left.