Total population | |
---|---|
Nigerian-born residents in the United Kingdom: 293,609 – 0.4% (2021/22 Census) [note 1] England: 266,877– 0.5% (2021) [1] Scotland: 21,286 – 0.4% (2022) [2] Wales: 3,891 – 0.1% (2021) [1] Northern Ireland: 1,555 – 0.08% (2021) [3] Nigerian citizens/passports held: 117,638 (England and Wales only, 2021) [4] Ethnic Nigerians: 271,390 (England and Wales only, 2021) [5] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Throughout the United Kingdom In particular Greater London, South East England, East of England, North West England | |
Languages | |
Predominantly English (British, Nigerian, Pidgin), Yoruba and Igbo Others Nigerian languages | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Christianity, minority Sunni Islam, traditional religions | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Nigerian Canadians, Nigerian Americans, Nigerian Australians
|
Part of a series on |
British people |
---|
United Kingdom |
Eastern European |
Northern European |
Southern European |
Western European |
Central Asian |
East Asian |
South Asian |
Southeast Asian |
West Asian |
African and Afro-Caribbean |
Northern American |
South American |
Oceanian |
British Nigerians (here meaning British people of Nigerian descent [6] [7] rather than Nigerians of British descent) have formed long-established communities in London, Liverpool and other industrial cities. Many Nigerians and their British-born descendants in Britain live in South London, and they are one of the larger immigrant groups in the country. [8]
Nigerians have formed long-established communities in London, Liverpool and other industrial cities. The earliest known Nigerian presence in London took place over 200 years ago as a direct result of the transatlantic slave trade. Olaudah Equiano, born in what is now Nigeria and a former slave, lived in London and was involved in the debate that occurred in Britain over the abolition of the slave trade. [9]
Like many other former British colonies, Nigeria has been a large source of immigrants to the United Kingdom. Prior to Nigerian independence from Britain, gained in 1960, many Nigerians studied in the UK along with other countries such as Australia and the United States; with the majority returning to Nigeria upon completion of their higher education. [10] [11] In the 1960s, civil and political unrest in Nigeria contributed to many refugees migrating to Britain, along with skilled workers. [9]
Nigerians emigrated in larger numbers in the 1980s, following the collapse of the petroleum boom. [10] This wave of migration has been more permanent than the pre-independence wave of temporary migration. [10] Asylum applications from Nigerians peaked in 1995, when the repression associated with the military dictatorship of Sani Abacha was at its height. [10]
In 2015, Britain's Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner expressed concerns about the extent of contemporary slavery involving Nigerians smuggled to the UK. Of more than 2,000 potential victims of human trafficking referred to the National Crime Agency in 2014, 244 were from Nigeria. This represented a 31 per cent increase on 2013's figure. According to the BBC, "Campaigners believe the real figure of potential trafficking victims from Nigeria could be much higher". [12]
Region / Country | Population | % | Largest community | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England | 266,877 | 0.47% | — | ||||
Greater London | 117,145 | 1.33% | Greenwich – 14,357 (5.0%) | ||||
South East | 32,468 | 0.35% | Medway – 3,993 (1.4%) | ||||
North West | 29,092 | 0.39% | Manchester – 10,329 (1.9%) | ||||
East of England | 27,913 | 0.44% | Colchester – 1,346 (0.7%) | ||||
West Midlands | 19,911 | 0.33% | Birmingham – 5,946 (0.5%) | ||||
East Midlands | 13,902 | 0.28% | Nottingham – 3,442 (1.1%) | ||||
Yorkshire and The Humber | 12,454 | 0.23% | Leeds – 3,415 (0.4%) | ||||
South West | 7,691 | 0.13% | Bristol – 1,431 (0.3%) | ||||
North East | 6,301 | 0.24% | Newcastle – 2,082 (0.7%) | ||||
Scotland | 21,286 | 0.39% | Aberdeen – 5,662 (2.5%) | ||||
Wales | 3,891 | 0.13% | Cardiff – 1,366 (0.4%) | ||||
Northern Ireland | 1,555 | 0.08% | Belfast – 862 (0.2%) | ||||
The 2001 UK Census recorded 88,378 Nigerian-born people resident in the UK. [13] The 2011 Census recorded 191,183 Nigerian-born residents in England and Wales. [14] The censuses of Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded 9,458 and 543 Nigerian-born residents respectively. [15] [16] More recent estimates by the Office for National Statistics put the figure at 215,000 in 2019. [17]
A Council of Europe report gives a figure of 100,000 Nigerians in the UK but suggests that this is likely to be an underestimate since it does not include irregular migrants or children born outside of Nigeria. Similarly, Nigerians with citizenship of another EU member state who then relocated to the UK are not necessarily included in this estimate. The report suggests to multiply the figure by between 3 and 8 to reflect the size of the Nigerian community in the UK. [18]
The UK's largest concentration of Nigerians is found in the capital city, London. The 2001 census found that Peckham was the home to the largest overseas Nigerian community in the UK, with 7% of the population of the Peckham census tract having been born in Nigeria. [19] Many of the local establishments are Yoruba and Igbo owned. [20] Nigerian churches and mosques can be found in the area. As immigrants have become assimilated, English has always been the predominant language of the local Nigerian British population as English is the main spoken language in Nigeria. The Yoruba language and the Igbo language are declining in use in the Peckham area despite the growing Nigerian population of Igbo and Yoruba descent. [8] Outside London and South East England, the 2001 census recorded the largest Nigerian-born communities in the East of England and the North West. [19]
Below is a table showing how many Nigerians were granted British citizenship and the right of abode in the period 1998 to 2008.
Persons granted citizenship | |
---|---|
1998 | 3,550 [21] |
1999 | 3,481 [22] |
2000 | 5,594 [23] |
2001 | 6,290 [24] |
2002 | 6,480 [25] |
2003 | 6,300 [26] |
2004 | 6,280 [27] |
2005 | 6,615 [28] |
2006 | 5,875 [29] |
2007 | 6,030 [30] |
2008 | 4,530 [31] |
2009 | 6,955 [32] |
In England and Wales in 2011, 14,914 people (0.03% of all residents aged three and over) spoke Yoruba as a main language, 7,946 (0.01%) spoke Igbo and 6,639 (0.01%) spoke other Nigerian languages. [33] In London, 10,119 people (0.13% of all residents aged three and over) spoke Yoruba as a main language, 5,252 (0.07%) people spoke Igbo and 3,577 (0.05%) spoke other Nigerian languages. [34]
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Nigerian pupils are among best performing student groups in the United Kingdom. Taking data for only England, a 2013 IPPR survey reported that the proportion of British Nigerian pupils gaining 5 A*–C grades at GCSE (including Maths and English) in 2010–2011 was 21.8 percentage points higher than the England mean of 59.6 per cent. This average was calculated using student data, where available, from various local authorities in England. [35]
The number of Nigerian pupils at British private schools is growing. In November 2013, The Spectator noted that Nigerians, along with Russians, "are now the fastest-growing population in British private schools". [36] In 2013, the number of entrants to private schools from Nigeria increased by 16 per cent. [37]
According to Higher Education Statistics Agency data, 17,620 students from Nigeria were studying at British public higher education institutions in the academic year 2011–12. This made them the third largest country-of-origin group behind students from China and India. Of the 17,620, 6,500 were undergraduates, 9,620 taught postgraduates and 1,500 research postgraduates. [38]
Research by Euromonitor International for the British Council indicates that in 2010, the majority (66 per cent) of Nigerian foreign students attended universities in the UK. The students are mainly drawn to these institutions' English language academic system. Their time studying in Britain is also facilitated by an established and large Nigerian community and by "the relative proximity of the UK to Nigeria". [39]
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. As a Nigerian state, Ogun is the second most industrialised state after Lagos, with a focus on metal processing. It has good road and rail connections to the harbours in Lagos and Lekki. Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 1986, lives in Ogun.
Ekiti State is a state in southwestern Nigeria, bordered to the North by Kwara State for 61 km, to the Northeast by Kogi State for 92 km, to the South and Southeast by Ondo State, and to the West by Osun State for 84 km. Named for the Ekiti people—the Yoruba subgroup that makes up the majority of the state's population—Ekiti State was carved out from a part of Ondo State in 1996 and has its capital as the city of Ado-Ekiti.
Filipinos in the United Kingdom are British citizens or immigrants who are of Filipino ancestry.
Singapore nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds Singapore nationality. The primary law governing nationality requirements is the Constitution of Singapore, which came into force on 9 August 1965.
Latin American migration to the United Kingdom dates back to the early 19th century. Before the 1970s, when political and civil unrest became rife in many Latin American countries, the United Kingdom's Latin American community was not particularly large. Economic migration to the United Kingdom has since increased, with Brazilian and Colombian-born residents now representing the two largest Latin American groups, standing at an estimated 95,000 and 36,000 respectively as of 2019. A number of refugees and asylum seekers moved to the UK during the late 20th century. However, since the turn of the century, Latin Americans have been migrating to the UK for a wide range of reasons. At present, the community consists of people from all walks of life. The UK is also home to British-born people of Latin American ancestry. During the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis, Britain also became one of the favourite European destinations for some of the roughly 1.4 million Latin Americans who had acquired Spanish citizenship.
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Baron Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. Nigeria is composed of various ethnic groups and cultures and the term Nigerian refers to a citizenship-based civic nationality. Nigerians are derived from over 250 ethno-linguistic groups. Though there are multiple ethnic groups in Nigeria, economic factors result in significant mobility of Nigerians of multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds to reside in territories in Nigeria that are outside their ethnic or religious background, resulting in the mixing of the various ethnic and religious groups, especially in Nigeria's cities. The English language is the lingua franca of Nigerians. Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, who live mostly in the north, and Christians, who live mostly in the south; indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, are in the minority.
Hungarians in the United Kingdom include Hungarian-born immigrants to the UK and their descendants, of whom there are a substantial number. Since Hungary joined the European Union in 2004, the UK's Hungarian population has grown significantly. Although official ONS estimates are that there were about 98,000.
Colombians in the United Kingdom or Colombian Britons include British citizens or residents who are of Colombian ancestry. According to the 2011 UK Census, the Colombian-born population of England was 25,016, Wales 166, Scotland 507 and Northern Ireland 72.
Singaporeans in the United Kingdom may refer to people who have full or partial Singaporean origin or descent, born or settled in the United Kingdom, or Singaporeans in Britain which are high-income expatriate professionals as well as skilled workers, with many still maintaining close ties with Singapore, especially those who continue to retain Singaporean citizenship while having permanent residency in Britain, as well as students.
Mexicans in the United Kingdom or Mexican Britons include Mexican-born immigrants to the United Kingdom and their British-born descendants. Although a large percentage of Mexican-born people in the UK are international students, many are also permanently settled and work in the UK as the community expands into its second generation.
Peruvians in the United Kingdom or Peruvian Britons are Peruvian immigrants to the United Kingdom, who form part of the larger Latin American community in the UK. In 2001, the number of Peruvian-born immigrants was the sixth largest amongst all Latin American immigrants to the UK.
Ecuadorians in the United Kingdom include people of Ecuadorian ancestry living in the United Kingdom, who have been born or raised in the UK. They can be either British citizens or non-citizen immigrants.
Barbadian British people, Bajan Brits or British Barbadians, are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Caribbean island of Barbados. The UK is home to the second largest Barbadian-born migrant population out of all the OECD countries, with the 2001 Census recording 21,601 UK residents born on the Caribbean island, compared to the 53,785 Barbadian-born residents of the United States.
British Afghans are British citizens and non-citizen residents born in or with ancestors from, Afghanistan, part of worldwide Afghan diaspora. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that there were 79,000 people born in Afghanistan living in the UK in 2019.
Algerians in the United Kingdom are residents of the UK with ancestry from Algeria. They include Algerian-born immigrants and their British-born descendants.
The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It received royal assent on 7 November 2002.
According to the 2022 census, there were 8,368 resident Nigerians in Ireland in 2022. 20,559 persons usually resident in the state in 2022 were born in Nigeria, an increase of 3,990 since 2016. They constitute the largest African group in the country.
Nigerian nationality law is regulated by the Constitution of Nigeria, as amended, and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Nigeria. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. Commonwealth countries often use the terms nationality and citizenship as synonyms, despite their legal distinction and the fact that they are regulated by different governmental administrative bodies. Nigerian nationality is typically obtained under the principal of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth to parents with Nigerian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalisation.
Yoruba Americans are Americans of Yoruba descent. The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group that predominantly inhabits southwestern Nigeria, with smaller indigenous communities in Benin and Togo.
Nigerian Australians are Australian citizens and residents of Nigerian origin or descent. The Nigerian-born form one of the fastest-growing migrant groups in Australia.