London Mayor Sadiq Khan was in Nigeria on his first official visit by the mayor of London. During the time it was called the Trade Mission, Sir Sadiq will also visit Ghana and South Africa, which seek to deepen relations between the capital and Africa and encourage greater trade flows.
During his visit, Sir Sadiq, who arrived in Nigeria with the leading British companies, interacted with Nigerians in the arts/culture and technology sector. He was a guest at Lago Canvas, a specially curated event hosted by Moabdu, a London-born film and culture heavyweight, on Ebony Place, Victoria.
It was a showcase of music, film, fashion and art. Speaking at the event, Sir Sadiq told Abdu, “They call Mo Oprah of Africa. I call Oprah of America.”
Looking back at his experiences in what he described as the “cultural capital of Africa,” he expressed his desire to open up a handshake across the Atlantic Ocean, saying, “Other people around the world want to build a bridge between Lagos and London.”
Shared further in an Instagram post, he said, “Lagos is a cultural powerhouse, just like London.”
The mayor of London also visited the Nike Art Gallery, where he was hosted by the iconic Nike Okunday, artists and artpreneurs.
His meeting with the Nigerian technological community is interactive, focusing on how to leverage domestic technological talent within the Lagos startup ecosystem, which the mayor of London described as the “African technology hub” that he called the technological capital of Europe. There are many fintech companies living in Nigeria, some of which have acquired the status of unicorns.
Total trade between the UK and Nigeria fell 7.6% from £7.2 billion in 2024, down 7.6% from £7.744 billion recorded in the previous year. Of those figures, exports to the UK to Nigeria were £5.3 billion, while Nigeria's exports to the UK were £1.9 billion. This visit will hopefully be a shot in the arms of the UK/Nigeria trade.
But aside from dealing in goods and services, Nigerians are one of the UK's largest immigrant groups, and many Nigerians have migrated to the UK under a global talent visa programme that provides the UK economy with the opportunity to contribute talent and skills to leaders in the arts and technology and emerging leaders.
The visit of Sadiq Khan is expected to be built on the vibrant relationship between the two countries and the capital.
Deborah Williams, a media entrepreneur and founder of Red Media who attended the event, told African businesses that the visit was “more than a cultural experience.”
Regarding his view of the visit to achieve Williams, he said, “The mayor is not the prime minister, but he has the influence as mayor of London, home to top businesses. He has learned that he has 27 UK businesses.
The high point of the visit was the mayor's announcement that the first African London Business Summit will be held in London next year.
