By Adeyinka Adeniran
TCL Global, a leading education consultant held an Educational Expo recently in Ibadan. In this interview, the Country Dirextor, Mr Tunde Salami spoke on the challenges Nigerian students face in seeking university admission in the UK and Canada. He also spoke on why many students fall into wrong hands, highlighting the various opportunities TCL is offering Nigerians. Except:
Q: Please give us a brief on yourself and this Expo
A: I’m Tunde Salami, I’m the Country Director for TCL Global. We are here doing another education expo and that is to enlighten Nigerians, for them to know there is still opportunity for them to study, live and work in the UK and most especially to let them know that there are now very buoyant scholarship opportunities. Scholarship opportunity does not mean it is free, it means scholarship opportunities whereby there will be 30, 40, 50, 60 percent discount from your tuition fee.
There are a lot of opportunities coming in that direction. Also, there are some opportunities now whereby you can still be able to bring your dependent spouse to come and study in the UK because a lot of people still believe that they cannot. There are some courses that allow you to still bring your dependent children, wife, husband, spouse to you to come and study in the UK.
There are a lot of opportunities to do that. So, we are just here to let people know of this information.
Q. What makes TCL a unique brand among others who are doing international educational packages for Nigerians?
A. Yes, TCL Global, what makes us unique especially is we have been tested and trusted. Over the last five years, we have been able to gain admission for students in the UK alone, more than 1,000 students. I’ve not had any dependent children or spouse into each student and we have a lot of testimonies to share with that.
One most important reason again is that, myself that is talking to you, I was an international student in the UK and after studying in the UK, I’ve got two master’s degrees in UK universities. That is a Master of Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Law, LLM. After that, I have my family, my wife and my children. They joined me while I was studying. After that, getting a qualification, I was able to settle and eventually get my citizenship in the UK. So, what makes us different is you will feel it, know it most.
I have passed through this journey myself. So, I’m not just advertising to you, clean sheets, go. It is a journey I’ve passed through. So, I will be able to tell you what you need to do to be able to be fulfill and achieve your goal in the UK, joining a special needs. It is very difficult to find people open business. People do this business, they don’t know what it takes.
After getting admission for people, you don’t know what it takes to stay and live in the UK, manage your spouse in the UK, train up your children in the UK. They don’t know what it takes. So, that is what makes difference this year globally.
Q. What is the turnout like for the Expo?
A. For this event, so far, we’ve had people coming, going, more than 400 people. A lot of questions have been raised because the terrain is changing a lot. So, it has emanated people to be in a sort of, I would say, delay mode.
They are confused, they don’t know. Does it really still worth it to travel or to come to the UK? Because the last three years, especially during the Jap era, has brought a lot of dimension, information, real and not real to people. So, it sees many people now to say, oh, I think this person is telling me this.
So, I think because of that and because of some advert everything, people actually come out more to come and clarify some information they have been hearing. So, the turnout has been very good.
Q. As an immigration lawyer, what are the major challenges Nigerians seeking this kind of opportunities have been facing over the years?
A. Yes, practical experience in the last three years has brought different challenges for us, for people that stays in the immigration industry in the UK. The reason is, most people that come during these three years are not well informed. They think when they get to the UK, all their problems will be solved. Without realizing, they get to the UK, another problem starts.
Some of them are very pitiful. They sold their properties, they sold their houses, their cars, thinking everything will be fine. When they get there, especially people that go with these COAs, care routes, care things.
As a company at that time, we were not involved in selling any COAs and care needs because I told them 85 percent of those care they are being sold is false. Because genuine sponsorship licenses in the UK are free, they are not for sale. But they want you to come in on a route like this, coming at a student.
While you are a student, you are working as a carer. While working as a carer, you have developed the skill required. After you study, they will give you COAs for free.
That certificate of sponsorship to work as a carer, that is what people pay N10million to N20 million, equivalent of 10,000 to 40,000 Pounds. At the end of the day, the people that they pay money for, when they get there, there’s no job for them. So it makes people to go to depression.
There is a lot of high level depression. People are not feeling well over there in the last three years because their expectation was really cut short, sincerely speaking. So it’s a different thing.
And to me, the personal thing, I realized that people don’t want to hear the truth. They see people like us as a prophet of doom. When you tell them this is the right way to do, they say no, no, no, no, I’ve got somebody.
But unfortunately, when the problems come, we still have to develop a lot of ways to support them. A lot of people are in depression because they were not prepared for what they met when they get there. Especially those people that go with those care work certificates, all those things.
Student route is still student route. You will gain a very extreme certificate. Passing through any education process in the UK is not easy.
So when you have a certificate in the UK, you will never remain the same in your life. So you acquire a certificate. And from there, if you decide to stay, to leave and things like that, you will still be able to get something.
So that is what we have been doing. We have been truthful and honest with our people. And that’s what makes us to be distinct in the market.
Q: I would like you to advise Nigerians. As we are seeing this, a lot of people are still falling for this. So what advice do you have for them?
A: Simple instruction. Genuine COS is free. Genuine COS is free. Don’t pay for COS. COS, even for most hospitals that are recruiting nurses, it is free. They don’t pay for it. So anything you are paying for, know that it is not genuine.
Be prepared for it. Sincerely, care work visa is meant for people that are there on a type of visa, maybe as a student. While as a student, you have been working.
After working, you got the experience you need as a carer, as a support worker. Then this care home and supported living home will give you this thing for free. Because you have developed about 3, 6, 12-month experience with them.
And over there, experience is the most important. And that is why they are giving you this thing for free. But somebody’s packaging it for you and you say you should pay N10 million, N20 million.
Please, my brothers and sisters, don’t pay for COS. Again, don’t sell your house to go for it. It is not genuine. Please. Some agencies will say we give advice. Let me start with tuition free.
Like I tell you, there is nothing free in the UK. Nothing free in the UK. The good road, you pay road tax. The bin they are carrying, you pay council tax. So everything is paid for in the UK. And that is the difference between Nigeria. We want good things, we don’t want to pay for it. So I don’t know why people say, yes, there are scholarship opportunities. A student was here last two years. Initially, we paid the deposit. When they get there, the student did well. Then they gave the student 100 percent scholarship.
That is the month for university. Aerology, to become a pilot after doing the test. If you are exceptionally talented and brilliant, we can look for schools that is going to be on scholarship but 100 percent is not possible.
Then some percentage of scholarship, maybe 30% of your tuition fee, 50% of your tuition fee, 60% of your tuition fee. But to say you want something for free, I don’t know. Except, like I said, if you’re exceptionally talented and the university says, okay, we are doing this program, we are looking for talented students, brilliant ones, we want to support them. And it is not every time. It is per situation, per situation.
Q. Give us the name of some of the universities that are at this fair.
A. Yes, we have University of Portmouth, fully represented. We have Leeds Package University, fully represented. We have University of Central Lancashire, fully represented. We have Greenwich University, fully represented. We have Metropolitan University, fully represented. We have a representative of a university from Europe, which deal with, especially they are recruiting for universities in Malta now, fully represented.
Because this is a different matrix as well. Europe are coming up. Europe tuition fees are cheaper and they have other opportunities, but there is language barrier.
There is not on board. The tuition fees are cheaper for people that are still interested. So we have representative of that here as well today.
We have representative of Canada universities and U.S. universities as well. And there is this, and institutions that, depending on your situation, that help us to pay you student loan to study abroad. But it is not 100 percent. They look at your circumstances and assess it one after the other. Mostly for people that are coming to the UK to study Masters and they look at it. After paying 50 percent of your tuition fee, they can borrow you money, student loan, to pay the balance.
And when you start working in the UK, you start paying that. I say representative of that institution here as well.
Q: Where are your offices ?
A: At TCL Global, we are all over the world. Our head office is in the United Kingdom. We have office in Dubai. We have in Saudi Arabia. We have in Kuwait. We have in South Africa. We have in Pakistan, in India, in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka, in Nepal, in Kenya, in Ghana, which I’m setting up very soon, and Cote d’Ivoire, which we have started branding the office. I’m the one setting up.
I am actually the regional director for Africa for TCL Global because we are really expanding into African countries.
