Ghana has emerged as the 8th highest-ranking country worldwide in the proportion of its students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities in the United States for the 2024/25 academic year, according to a new report by ApplyBoard Insights.

The analysis, which examines international student enrollment trends and field preferences, shows that 53.7% of Ghanaian students in the U.S. focused on STEM programs — a +1 percentage point increase from the previous year.

This positions Ghana ahead of major players like China (53.4%) and Taiwan (52.1%), and reflects the growing appeal of STEM fields for African talent amid projected U.S. job growth in these sectors.

The report highlights that over 70% of students from top-ranked countries like India, Bangladesh, Iran, and Nepal pursued STEM, with Ghana’s performance underscoring Africa’s rising presence in high-demand fields. Nigeria ranked 5th at 61.9%, while Saudi Arabia and Pakistan followed closely.

Overall, the data points to a continued dominance of Asian countries, but with notable gains from African nations.

This trend aligns with broader U.S. enrollment patterns, where new international student numbers declined by 7% to about 277,000 in 2024/25, driven by drops at graduate levels. However, participation in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows graduates to work in their field, continued to grow, particularly in STEM, where extensions offer up to three years of post-study employment.

For Ghana, the findings signal strong interest in STEM among its youth, potentially boosting diaspora remittances, skills transfer, and innovation upon return. With U.S. STEM occupations projected to grow 8% by 2034 and offering median wages of US$104,000 — more than double non-STEM roles — this focus could position Ghanaian graduates for global competitiveness.

The report comes amid discussions on U.S. immigration policies affecting international students, including visa pauses, but emphasizes the enduring value of STEM education for career pathways.

Ghana is at the center of an international controversy after West African migrants deported from the United States were later sent on to their home countries, despite U.S. court orders meant to protect some of them from refoulement.

The situation emerged as part of the Trump administration’s “third-country” deportation policy, under which the United States has transferred foreign nationals it cannot easily return directly to their countries of origin.

Instead, Washington struck agreements with nations including Ghana and Equatorial Guinea to temporarily receive those migrants.

One of the most closely watched cases involves Rabbiatu Kuyateh, a 58-year-old woman from Sierra Leone who had lived in Maryland for nearly 30 years.

Kuyateh had secured a legal order in U.S. immigration court that was intended to protect her from being sent back to Sierra Leone, where she said she and her family faced political persecution.

Despite that order, U.S. authorities deported her on Nov. 5, 2025, to Ghana, where she was held in a hotel for six days. According to interviews and legal filings reviewed by Reuters, Ghanaian authorities then forcibly returned her and dozens of other West Africans — including individuals from Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo — to their respective home countries.

Video posted on social media and verified by Kuyateh’s family shows uniformed men dragging her across a hotel floor as she cried, “I’m not going!” before being placed in a van, an image that sparked a broader conversation about the treatment of migrants under these arrangements.

Human rights advocates say the practice may violate international norms, particularly the prohibition on refoulement, which bars the return of individuals to countries where they could face torture or persecution.

Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, rejected the use of third countries like Ghana as a bypass of established protections.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that those sent to Ghana and other third countries were labeled “illegal aliens” with final removal orders, and insisted due process had been followed. DHS did not comment on the subsequent repatriations to home countries.

Ghana’s foreign ministry, interior ministry and immigration service did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the deportees’ treatment or repatriation process. Officials in Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea also declined to comment.

Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni is leading by a wide margin in early results from the country’s 2026 general election, according to official tallies released on Friday, January 16, 2026.

The Electoral Commission of Uganda announced that Museveni, 81, who has ruled the East African nation since 1986, secured approximately 68% of the vote with more than half of polling stations reporting.

His main challenger, opposition leader Bobi Wine (real name Robert Kyagulanyi), trailed with around 25%, while other candidates shared the remaining votes.

Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) also dominated parliamentary races, with preliminary figures showing the ruling party winning a commanding majority in the 556-seat legislature.

The results, while still preliminary, point to a decisive victory for the veteran leader in an election widely criticized by international observers for irregularities, voter intimidation, and restrictions on opposition campaigns.

The European Union and United States have already expressed concern over the electoral process, citing limited access for independent observers, internet shutdowns, and arrests of opposition figures in the lead-up to the January 15 vote.

Museveni’s supporters, however, hail the outcome as a reflection of widespread public support for his leadership and stability in a region often plagued by conflict.

Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) have rejected the early results, alleging widespread rigging and calling for a full investigation. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Wine declared:

“This is not an election result; it is a declaration of war on the will of the Ugandan people.”

The election comes at a critical time for Uganda, as Museveni seeks a seventh term amid economic pressures, youth unemployment, and regional security challenges.

A continued NRM dominance would extend his rule to nearly 45 years, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.