The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, seems quite eager to paint a very fine picture of the UK-Nigeria visa relationship.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Montgomery boasted that the United Kingdom has issued around 300,000 visas to Nigerians over the past few years. He called the relationship “robust” and declared that Nigeria has been a major beneficiary of the UK’s post-Brexit migration policies.
Montgomery brushed aside criticisms of the UK’s allegedly harsh immigration policies, asserting instead that Britain has been a haven of opportunity for Nigerians.
According to him, “I have to contest this picture because the UK, in the last couple of years, has granted around 300,000 new visas to Nigerians, which far exceeds any other visa relationship that Nigeria has with any other country.”
The Commissioner highlighted that the number of work visas issued to Nigerians has skyrocketed from 10,000–20,000 annually a few years ago to a staggering 80,000–90,000 in recent years. A clear win for Nigeria’s workforce or perhaps a brain drain that Nigeria can scarcely afford? He emphasized the significant contributions of Nigerians in the UK, particularly in sectors like social care, where they play vital roles.
Interestingly, Montgomery admitted that the number of Nigerian students heading to the UK has dropped. While student visa numbers are down, work visa approvals have surged, painting a picture of Nigerians filling workforce gaps in the UK rather than pursuing academic opportunities. This subtle shift may be strategic for the UK but leaves Nigeria struggling with its own educational and professional losses.
The High Commissioner also noted that Nigerians account for about 10% of all UK visas issued in the past two years, emphasizing that this outstrips Nigeria’s visa relationship with any other country. A remarkable statistic, but one that raises concerns about the sustainability of such a heavy reliance on the UK as a migration destination.
While Montgomery celebrated the so-called “positive trends” in UK-Nigeria relations, it’s essential to question whether this narrative truly serves the interests of Nigeria. Is the UK offering opportunity, or is it simply leveraging Nigeria’s talent and ambition to fill its own gaps?
