Like many Nigerian talents, Ade Sola (a pseudonym)’s husband decided to pursue a dream of studying abroad some years ago. For the Anambra-based couple, 2023 was their closest shot to achieving that dream; Sola’s husband was ready and they had the money to fund the journey.

After careful research, they contacted Baohub Consults, a travel agency that promised to help them secure admission, process visas and facilitate their move through the study route. The journey with Baohub began in May 2023 and, according to Sola, went smoothly up until early 2024.

“We got into a contract agreement with the agency,” she said. “It was set up so we would pay in instalments — one payment before they sought admission, another during visa processing, and the final payment when our visas were issued”, said Sola.

Sola paid the first instalment of N300,000 as a pre-visa fee, as stated in the receipts provided to EQ. True to their word, Baohub began the admission process for her spouse.

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In no time, they were overjoyed to receive admission letters from Conestoga College in Ontario, Canada. With the admission out of the way, Sola then had to make an initial deposit of 1,500 CAD to the school to secure their spots. This, however, marked the beginning of a series of challenges for the hopeful family.

Sola said it was impossible for her to make payments from her naira account when she tried. “We tried paying through our naira account, but it wasn’t possible,” she recounted.

Determined not to miss their chance, the couple opened a domiciliary account, converted their funds to US dollars, and tried to pay in dollars. Unfortunately, they ran into the same issue. Running out of options and time, they turned to Baohub Consults for assistance, and the agency offered to handle the payment for them.

“So we contacted the same agency to help us with the payment and they obliged. They provided us with an account where we made the payment of $1,200 as the equivalent of 1,500 CAD, including charges I believe and the payment was made to the school,” Sola told EQ.

Payment receipt

But in an unexpected turn of events, the Canadian Government announced a cap on the number of international students it was willing to let in. As a result, Sola said that Cornestoga revoked her husband’s admission.

With their plans derailed, Sola and her husband turned to Baohub Consults once more — this time to retrieve the $1,200 they had paid to the college. When they requested a refund in May, Baohub had informed them to wait for about 10 to 12 weeks.

“They had access to all our details, so I contacted them to initiate the refund process,” Sola explained.

By August, Baohub confirmed that they had received the refund from Conestoga in August. This was after months of waiting, according to Sola. The agency has since refused to return the money to her account.

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“At first, they asked for my naira account, but I thought it would be better to receive the refund in dollars since that’s what I paid them in. Originally, the refund, according to the agency’s policy takes just 10 to 15 weeks” Sola explained.

“I’ve been calling and sending messages, but now they’ve stopped responding. They told me the head of the agency was out of the country, but I learnt he came back in August. It’s been more than 15 days since, and still nothing.”

Sola’s experience is one many Nigerians are becoming all too familiar with. The issues that arise from dealing with foreign admissions, local and international policy changes and fluctuating exchange rates often leave aspiring students stuck between agencies, banks and embassies.

For instance, EQ reported in February that aspiring students fell prey to an orchestrated scam through unsuspecting third parties. In many of these instances, these students give up on the dream of emigrating due to the financial shock.

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” Sola admitted. “We did everything right, and now, after months of waiting, I feel like they’re just ignoring us.”

On October 18, EQ contacted Baohub by text and email to resolve the issue and find out why there was a delay. Instead, the agency insisted that the EQ reporter visit their office in person.

EQ followed up on Wednesday, asking for a quick update on Sola’s money before setting up a meeting. At press time, Baohub had not responded.
The post Anambra Couple Paid Baohub Consults $1,200 for Canadian Admission. It Failed, No Refund One Year Later appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.