Report: Nigerian ‘authors, bloggers’ dominate UK global talent visa for literature

Nigerians have topped the list of applicants and endorsements under the United Kingdom’s global talent visa route for literature, outpacing countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The unpopular visa category, according to a report by The Telegraph (UK), allows writers, poets, oral storytellers, and graphic novelists to move to the UK based on demonstrated exceptional literary ability.

Endorsements for the visa are issued by Arts Council England, a government body with the authority to assess applicants’ artistic merit before Home Office approval.

Over the past five years, Nigerians submitted 125 applications under the literature category, more than twice the number from the United States (61) and more than the combined total from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Of these, 54 Nigerian applications were endorsed, and 70 rejected.

‘WE DON’T NEED FOREIGN POETS’ 

The global talent route covers a wide array of professionals in the creative industries.

“The last thing we need is to import more foreign poets and bloggers,” said Lee Anderson, a lawmaker from the Reform UK party, who, quoted in the report, criticised Britain’s “soft-touch immigration policies”.

“As the country boasting some of the world’s best literature, the last thing we need is to import more foreign poets and bloggers. What we urgently need are doctors, builders, and entrepreneurs. We need people who will contribute directly to our economy and public services.

“Our soft-touch immigration policies have allowed for total abuse of the system. And one where everyone benefits except the hard-working taxpayer.

“Reform will implement a freeze on all immigration. Then, gradually, we will welcome the world’s best and brightest, those who will adhere to our culture and contribute to our workforce. Reform will not continue to treat this country like a charity.”

The report noted that successful visa holders can stay in the UK for up to five years and are allowed to bring their families as dependents.

The article added that the rise in Nigerian applications aligns with the growing international prominence of several Nigerian writers, including Ben Okri, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, and the late Chinua Achebe, whose seminal novel “Things Fall Apart” remains widely read in British schools.

NIGERIA’S CREATIVE TALENT FLOODS BROADER VISA CATEGORIES

The report also reveals that the trend extends beyond literature.

Since 2019, Nigerians have filed 729 applications across the UK’s Global Talent visa categories in the arts including dance, fashion, film, theatre, and visual arts, making them the second-highest nationality overall after the US (977).

The number of applications from Nigeria jumped from just 12 in 2019 to 279 in 2024, a 2,225 percent increase.

Despite the volume, only 59 percent of Nigerian applicants were endorsed, the lowest success rate among major applicant countries apart from Ghana.

In total, more than 5,000 global talent applications have been made by people of all nationalities since 2019, with 3,600 endorsements issued by Arts Council England.

However, the Home Office does not release figures showing how many endorsed applications result in final visa approval.

The report comes amid renewed pressure on the Labour government to cut immigration levels.