Femi Isaac.
On the 23rd of December 2003, Ebi Obaro, one of Africa’s most reputable and certified Canadian immigration consultants founded Maple Education Canada Inc, in Fort St John, British Columbia Canada, as the foremost consulting company for Nigerian students interested in studying in Canada.
Two years before then, One of Ebi’s family members, had reached out to her on the phone, from Nigeria, with a simple request “Can you help find a good Canadian school for my child”? Her response and kind intervention, birthed the idea of promoting Canadian Education in Nigeria. Since then, over 10,000 students have been assisted in gaining admission into Canadian high schools, colleges and universities.
The beauty of what makes Maple Education Canada’s anniversary year milestone, more than just another regular success narrative is remarkable. The year-over-year growth, the quality feedback and strong referral network, even the cordial relationships with strategic partner institutions and associations all reinforce the fact that it has been a journey of consistency, impact and excellence.
In 2002, only about 800 Nigerian students were studying in private and public universities in Canada. Today, the numbers have gone up significantly. By April 2022, according to the IRCC data, the number of new study permits for Nigeria increased by 30.3 percent to 13,745 from 10,550 in 2020, making it the ninth most popular source country for international students.
How did Nigeria climb up the growth ladder so fast in the Canadian Education ecosystem, “In the year 2000 I had this idea of promoting Canadian education to Nigerians, three years after my family and I migrated to Canada.I needed to come back and build on that dream. So, I approached a Canadian bank with my business plan and got a loan to kickstart things” Ebi said.
“At that point, Canada was not a destination for international education in Nigeria. On arrival in Nigeria, I met with the then Deputy High Commissioner, here in Lagos to discuss my intention of promoting Canadian education in Nigeria” Thankfully we received significant support from the commission. Ebi added.
Shortly after opening the Maple Education Canada office in Fort St John, British Columbia Canada, the first set of admission seekers, already began admissions consultations at a small office in the Sura Shopping Complex Lagos. They had to choose amongst 4 partner Canadian institutions only, but today about 65 partner institutions count on Maple Education Canada for some of their recruitment numbers.
Referral is the company’s strongest asset, a testament to the quality of impressive service and follow through, that the company delivers for every client and partner on every brief. “University of Manitoba is proud to have such a long term partner dedicated to facilitating access to higher education and it has been our privilege to work with you, your incredible team and students. It has always been evident that you run a business based on honesty and kindness to others – it is no wonder your success is so long lasting. We look forward to continuing our close partnership with you and your team for many more years to come; congratulations on this wonderful milestone” Says Lisa Kachulak-Babey, Associate Registrar & Director, Student Recruitment for Canada, Central & Northern Asia and Europe, University of Manitoba.
In 2022, British Airways awarded Maple Education Canada, the partner with the highest group sales, owing to the consistently well organized group travel flights arrangement that Maple introduced to help students and parents ease their travel to Canada. In 2010 and 2017, the company received the Best Partner Canada Award and North America Agent of the Year 2014/2015 by Navitas, a leading global education provider, amongst others. Other recognitions include Excellence in Education Award 2017 for most reliable International Education Support provider of the year by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In response to the growing demand for young Nigerian students desirous of getting world class quality study experience in Canada, Ebi Obaro founded Maple Canadian College (MCC) in 2019. This was following a careful evaluation of the experiences of undergraduate Nigerian students in Canada, who went straight into the university, without bridging the gap in the high school curriculum of both countries.
The Maple Canadian College in partnership with Rosedale Global High School, offers the Ontario Secondary School (OSSD) as a pathway to gaining admission into top universities globally. Students at Maple Canadian College have admission offers from top universities worldwide including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Toronto, and the London School of Economics amongst others.
“It is not by chance that I got involved in Canadian education; I didn’t stumble into it. My family of seven, migrated to Canada at a time when Nigerians were not paying attention to Canada. So, having our five children go through Canadian education; some from elementary school, and all of them through high school, and university, built in us the requisite experience and knowledge needed to play in the space. Said Ebi, while recounting her early days experiences.
Ebi Obaro, Tukeni Obasi, Panebi Oboh and Mubo Olabode, all reputable and certified Canadian immigration consultants, have revolutionized the foreign study and immigration landscape with their exceptional leadership at Maple Education Canada. The next decade will definitely usher in significant advancement and progress for the Company and we are looking forward to it.
Femi Isaac is a Pan-African communications and public relations consultant, he writes from Lagos and can be reached via olatunjiolufemi45@gmail.com.
