By Peter Omopo
A total of 52,000 Nigerians migrated to the United Kingdom in 2024, making Nigeria one of the top sources of non-EU+ immigration to the UK, according to newly released figures by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.
The migration surge came despite a sharp drop in the UK’s overall net migration, which declined by nearly 50 percent—from 860,000 in 2023 to 431,000 in 2024, the ONS said.
Of the Nigerian migrants, 27,000 arrived on work-related visas, 22,000 came to study, while the remaining 3,000 entered under other immigration categories, the report revealed.
The ONS highlighted Nigeria alongside India, Pakistan, and China as the leading contributors to non-EU+ immigration to the UK in 2024.
“For the year ending December 2024, Indian nationals were the most common non-EU+ immigrants,” the report stated. “Work and study-related immigration were the primary reasons for migration among Indian, Pakistani, and Nigerian nationals.”
The data underscores a continuing trend of skilled and academic migration from Nigeria, despite changing UK immigration policies aimed at reducing overall numbers.
