The UK needs your talent – Sadiq Khan woos Nigerians

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London was in Nigeria on an official visit, the first by a London Mayor. During what was dubbed a trade mission, Sir Sadiq will also visit Ghana and South Africa as he seeks to deepen ties and encourage greater trade flows between the capital and Africa.

During his visit, Sir Sadiq who arrived in Nigeria with UK businesses in tow, interacted with Nigerians in the arts/culture and tech sector. He was a guest of Lagos Canvas, a specially curated event hosted by London born film and culture heavyweight, Mo Abudu at Ebony Place in Victoria island.

It was a showcase of music, film, fashion and art. Speaking at the event, Sir Sadiq paid tribute to Abudu saying “they call Mo the Oprah of Africa. I call Oprah the Mo of the USA.”

Reflecting on his experiences in the city which he described as the “cultural capital of Africa” he expressed his desire to extend a handshake across the Atlantic noting that “while others around the world are building walls, I want us to build bridges between Lagos and London.”

Sharing further in an Instagram post he noted that “like London, Lagos is a cultural powerhouse.”

The Mayor of London also visited the Nike Art Gallery, where he was hosted by the iconic Nike Okundaye, artist and art-preneur.

His meeting with the Nigerian tech community was interactive and focused on how to harness the technological talent in the country especially within the Lagos start-up ecosystem which the Mayor of London described as the “tech hub of Africa” like London which he said is the tech capital of Europe. Nigeria is home to many fintech companies, some of which have achieved unicorn status.

Total trade between UK and Nigerian was £7.2bn in 2024 down by 7.6% from the £7.74bn recorded in the previous year. Of that figure, UK exports to Nigeria was £5.3 billion while Nigerian exports to the UK was £1.9 billion. This visit will, hopefully, be a shot in the arm for UK/Nigeria trade.

But aside the trade in goods and services, Nigerians constitute one of the the largest immigrant groups in the UK and many Nigerians have migrated to the UK under the Global Talent visa programme which provides opportunities for leaders and emerging leaders in the arts/culture and tech spaces to migrate and contribute their talents and skills to the UK economy.

Sadiq Khan’s visit, it is hoped, will build upon the vibrant relationship between the two countries and capitals.

Debola Williams, media entrepreneur and Founder of Red Media who attended the events told African Business that the visit was, in his view, “much more than a cultural experience. I think that Sadiq Khan is genuinely interested in working with countries on the continent. I had seen him visit a Nigerian restaurant in London so I think there is that interest.”

On what he thinks the visit will achieve Mr. Williams said “The Mayor is not the PM but he has his influence as Mayor of London which is home to the top businesses, and I was impressed to learn that he was accompanied by 27 UK businesses, five of which are Nigerian owned. I think he came as a convert and left as a missionary.”

A highpoint of the visit was the announcement by the mayor that the first Africa-London business summit will be held next year in London.