British Nigerians

Nigerian British

File:Nigerian british.jpg Notable Nigerian Britons: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Shirley Bassey, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Seal, Christine Ohuruogu, Olaudah Equiano Osi Umenyiora, Lemar, Tupele Dorgu
Regions with significant populations
Throughout the United Kingdom In particular Greater London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff, Sheffield
Languages
English, Igbo, Yoruba, Edo, Hausa
Religion
Christianity, Islam, Traditional beliefs

Nigerian British is the term given to describe British people of Nigerian descent. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, there are betweeen 800,000 and 3 million people of Nigerian descent in the United Kingdom. Many live in South London. The UK is home to the world's second largest Nigerian community, only behind Nigeria itself, however it is likely that those of distant and unknown descent such as African-Americans and Afro-Brazilians could outnumber the Nigerian British community.

History

Early

The 17th to 19th Centuries
Nigerians have formed long-established communities in London, Liverpool and other industrial cities. One of the most famous Nigerian Britons of the 17th century was Olaudah Equiano, who was involved in the British debate for the abolition of the slave trade.

Calabarian sailors also have reported ties with the UK (notably Cardiff in the 19th century). Due to the slave trade, links between Benin Chiefs and British merchants were established over three centuries ago. The Nigerian community makes up the oldest Black community in the United Kingdom.

Modern

Post Nigerian independence and World War II (20th and 21st Centuries)

Population

According to the 2001 UK Census only 90,000 Nigerian born people were living in the UK, with 3/4 of them in London (which is an increase of almost 90% from 1991), despite this the Nigerian British population is a long established community, and including British born people of Nigerian descent, illegal immigrants and recent immigrants the Foreign and Commonwealth Office puts the Nigerian British population total at between 800,000 and 3,000,000. The vast majority of Nigerians in the UK come from the south of Nigeria, and are mainly of Yoruba and Igbo heritage. They are also predominantly Christian or animist.

Economics

61.15% of recent Nigerian immigrants to the UK of working age are employed (compared to 73.49% for British born people regardless of race or ethnic background). 18.48% of recent immigrants are low earners, which is pay less than £149.20 a week (compared to 21.08% for British born people), and 13.04% are high earners, which is more than £750 per week (compared to 6.98% for British born people). The percentages for settled immigrants are slighlty different, 72.93% are employed with 14.17% being low earners and 15.00% high earners. To summarise 32.96% of Nigerian born British citizens are unemployed, compared to 26.51% for British born people regardless of ethnicity. The figures for British born people strictly of Nigerian descent are unknown.

Distribution

London

London (in particular the Southern Boroughs) is home to the largest Nigerian community in the UK, and possibly the largest overseas Nigerian community on the planet. The first Nigerians in London where those caught up in the slave trade over 200 years ago. In the mid 1900's a wave of Nigerian immigrants came to London after hearing the need for more skilled workers, however civil and political unrest in the country meant that a large number of refugees arrived in the city.

Peckham (also known as Little Lagos and Yorubatown) is home to one of the largest overseas Nigerian communities on the planet, many of the local establishments are Yoruba owned. Nigerian churches and mosques can be found in the area. The Yoruba language is said to be becoming less and less common in the Peckham area (with English being the predominant language of the local Nigerian British population), despite the ever increasing Nigerian population. In 2001, around 7% of Peckham's population was born in Nigeria, although a large proportion of the wards 40% Black African population is of Nigerian descent.

North West England

Liverpool, some Nigerians in Liverpool can trace their roots back ten generations, the city is home to the UK's oldest Black community, with the first Blacks arriving in Liverpool around 1730, similar to London, these where people caught up in the slave trade. It is unknown how many Nigerians now live in Liverpool, however according to 2006 estimates there are around 8,000 people in the city of Black African origin (not including via the Caribbean).

Manchester is home to a large Black British community, with around 8% of the city's population being of full or partial sub-Saharan African descent (some 70,000 in the city's metropolitan area). There is also a strong presence of Nigerian nationals in Manchesters universities. The University of Manchester has 246 Nigerian students

West Midlands

Birmingham

Yorkshire

Leeds

Sheffield

Elsewhere

Cardiff

Famous Nigerian Britons

Main article: List of Nigerian Britons

External links

• Voice of Africa Radio
• West African Business Association
• Igbo Cultural & Support Network