The United Kingdom (UK) witnesses a 2,225 per cent increase in applications from Nigeria for it global talent visa, from just 12 applications made in 2019 to 279 in 2024.
This figure reported by The Telegraph, reveals this significant increase occured over a five year period, prompting fresh scrutiny over the integrity and purpose of the scheme.
According to British authorities, the scheme, which was designed to attract exceptional individuals in literature and the arts, saw a sharp rise in uptake among Nigerian nationals.
Globally, over 5,000 artists applied for the Global Talent visa since 2019. Around 3,600 were approved by the UK Arts Council, but it is not stated how many actually received visas from the Home Office.
The route became popular as it allowed successful candidates to remain in the UK for up to five years and bring family members as dependents.
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Consequently, applicants from Nigeria started to lead submissions in the literature category, which includes authors, poets, spoken word artists, and creators of graphic novels.
In the past five years, the UK recorded 125 applications from Nigeria alone, which is more than twice the 61 submitted by the United States and significantly more than those from Australia, Canada and New Zealand combined.
Since 2019, 727 Nigerians submitted applications across different creative fields like writing, film, music, and art, ranking second only to the United States with 977. However, Nigeria’s success rate is lower than some other top countries, with only 59 percent getting approved.
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Nigeria’s approval rate is slightly above Ghana but trailing behind other major applicant nations such as Russia (725 applications) and China (492).
While 70 Nigerian applications were rejected, 54 received endorsements from Arts Council England, the body tasked with assessing and approving talent-based applications for the Home Office. That figure places Nigeria ahead of all other countries represented in the category.
Critics argue that the growing influx both legal and illegal has added pressure on the UK’s immigration system, as Labour ministers face calls to stem rising numbers.
The Home Office is yet to disclose how many endorsed applications ultimately result in visas being issued.
