“Terrific panel” provides “relevant facts” on higher education for Nigerian families

Last week, David Bell from HNW Advisor Events hosted a chat show “with a terrific panel” for Nigerian families who are considering higher education options for their children.?

The informal and informative webinar unpacked crucial and complex issues such as UK education, financial planning, immigration and relocation.

Around 70 registered to attend from regions such as the UK, Nigeria, Isle of Man, and Switzerland.

In case you missed it, you can watch the full one-hour event at...

You can read some of the highlights in the articles below.

Sophie Bell Karen Brazier Rori Maguire Olivia Gallichan Christopher Mathison

Choosing the university that’s the “right fit”

David Hawkins , founder of The University Guys likes to work with a family “over maybe two or three years” in order to help their son or daughter with the university admissions process.? He says it’s all about getting the “right fit.”

David explains that this way he can “build a good overall plan of action” so “the outcomes are best for every stakeholder.”

One of the challenges for families who are navigating the “complicated situation” on their own is the process changes “from year to year.”

David adds “we work with a young learner to understand themselves. And we also make use of various tools, such as psychometric testing, to try and bring out some of these things.”

He encourages families to start their consultancy with him before choosing their Sixth Form “pathway” because these will “impact the university options ahead,” especially if you are also considering higher education opportunities in North America and Europe alongside the UK.

The University Guys team works with each family through “slowly manageable steps and a process that everyone's agreed on” to help them find a “good fit” with the right course at the right university for them.

“Plan early” urges leading tax advisor who assists families relocating to UK

Rakesh Dabasia is a partner with Buzzacott , a top 25 accountancy firm in London.?

The focus of his work “is on preserving and growing a client’s wealth from a tax perspective, for the current generation and for future generations.”

He advises an increasing number of families from Nigeria.?

Rakesh advises high-net-worth individuals who are either UK resident or non-UK resident with UK assets, onshore and offshore trustees and their structures, as well as family and private offices.

“Plan early and implement that plan as soon as possible” is the top tip Rakesh gives to those moving to the UK, or intending to send their children to study.

Many of his clients have an international element, either because they have assets or structures outside of the UK, or they are moving to and from the UK.? This, he explains “always requires careful tax planning.”

“The UK will always be a great place to get educated. It's a great system that works, and people forget that the network you build up around you will be your friends and connections for the next 20-30 years.”

“In business terms, that's invaluable,” he concludes.

Akin Coker

Efficient investment matters because “education is super-important to families”

Dean Douglas is a Director of IQ-EQ , a leading investor services group which supports fund managers, global companies, family offices and private clients operating worldwide.

He is based in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, and has spent many years assisting Nigerian clients and “provides full services to high-net-worth families.”

Commenting on current trends, he says that there is an “increasing demand for independent education in the UK, especially when you are dealing with clients from Africa.”

His experience is that “education is super-important to families from Nigeria.” He is keen to “give the right advice at the early stages” of their education planning so he can advise on the right structuring.

He adds that it is “very important to speak to the right people early in the phase,” because “there's a lot of efficient planning that you can do.”

Dean explains that the attraction of living in the UK for international students continues after they have completed their education.

“We find quite often that children choose to remain in the UK after they have completed their education.? And then the wider family moves across too.”

In some cases, there is a significant amount of wealth involved, so there are plenty of opportunities to plan efficiently.” As someone who has chosen a UK education for one of his children recently, he says that his “experience of going through this process is absolutely fantastic.”

UK boarding schools the “perfect preparation” for world-class universities

Mark Brooks MBA from Mark Brooks Education spoke about his 15 years of experience in advising families from Nigeria on excellent UK boarding schools.? This popular service is supported by bringing leading heads from the UK to attend regular exhibitions in Abuja and Lagos.

Preparation for university is not a “last minute activity,” says Mark, “the longer the ramp the better”, he explains.?

Universities these days are assessing students beyond academic results “they are looking at the key skills that they can bring too.”

He referred to a recent presentation from Cardiff Sixth Form College that summarized what the universities are demanding as the four Cs – critical thinking, communications, collaboration and creativity. “British boarding schools are fantastic at this,” he says.

The all-round education at boarding school provides opportunities to discover and deepen these attributes which “add flavour to university applications and interviews.”

This is why activities such as Duke of Edinburgh, Model United Nations, sport, the creative and performing arts, and a wide array of clubs and societies are integral to the curriculum.

A university is keen to see “what else you are doing beyond your studies,” Mark mentioned.

Mark has observed that “Nigerian students are brilliant at running things and frequently take up senior leadership roles, often head boy or head girls, within their new school”.?

In a competitive international market for university places, the foundation of a British boarding school education helps students to really stand out from the crowd.

If you are in Nigeria this January join us for https://www.markbrookseducation.com/exhibitions-and-events/ exhibition in Lagos on 20th January and Abuja on 22nd January.

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