The Strange Agreement Tinubu And His Boy Hurriedly Signed In The UK By Uche87
Travelling is education. Most times, the information you need is experiential. It is not written in a book. You need to visit places and observe things first-hand. It helps you demystify certain myths. Before I relocated abroad, I had so much faith in anything foreign. I used the term ‘saner climes’ like other writers endlessly. But after living outside Nigeria for a while, I realised there is no ‘sane clime’ anywhere. The only difference is that the standard in Africa is extremely low. These Western countries we look up to also have their challenges, and their citizens are increasingly disillusioned.
Today, thousands of UK residents emigrate yearly in search of better opportunities. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, over 500,000 people left the UK in 2023 alone, with popular destinations including Australia, Canada, and the UAE.
When I read that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the UK for a state-sponsored visit, I thought, “This is good content for PR.” I didn’t read much into it. I didn’t find it beneficial to the common man on the street, either in the short term or the long term.
The UK is heavily indebted, public sector net debt is over 100% of GDP, and the Labour Party government under Keir Starmer is under pressure to stabilise the economy while maintaining public support. The country is still adjusting to life after Brexit, which has had lasting economic effects. The cost of living crisis persists, with inflation peaking above 10% in 2022 to 2023, and although it has eased, many households still struggle.
The National Health Service is stretched thin, with waiting lists exceeding 7 million patients at some point in recent years. Immigration remains a heated political issue, especially with rising asylum applications, over 70,000 in 2023, and increasing pressure on housing and social services.
So when Tinubu showed up, I saw it more as a film project of make-believe than anything transformative. The pictures were good and bright, as expected. The West has a way of teasing Nigeria about having the best ‘Jollof rice,’ and we always fall for it. At this point, it feels like subtle mockery. Their leaders sprinkle Nigerian slang, we laugh, and the media amplifies it for sensation. We enjoy the moment. The Western world is very skilled at telling people what they need to hear. Not all smiles are real.
While Tinubu’s media team publicised the gains of the trip, amid reports that some supporters were allegedly paid between £300 and £500 to attend welcome gatherings, something more consequential happened quietly.
Tinubu’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, signed an agreement with the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to improve cooperation on the return of Nigerians with no legal right to remain in the UK. The UK Home Office presented this as a significant step in migration control. The Nigerian Interior Ministry watered down the announcemement in a more dignifying matter. It partly read:
"...........UK government, guarantees that returnees will be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements.
It also provides detailed arrangements for the dignified return and reintegration of NIGERIANS who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK".
Compare the above with a Facebook announcement made by the Home Office on the 20th of March:
"We have signed a new agreement with Nigeria to speed up the return of people with no legal right to be in the UK.
Our partnership with Nigeria means we don't have to wait to return people with no right to be here, saving money for the British taxpayer by freeing up space in prisons or detention centres and easing pressure on local communities.
This means quicker action against those who abuse our systems and allows returns to move without delay, while keeping the process fair for those who follow the rules and come here legitimately"
The context tells a more complex story. Nigerians are not among the largest groups arriving illegally in the UK, commiting crimes or gaming the immigration system. Data shows that most irregular arrivals come from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and Eritrea. Nigerians in the UK, estimated at over 270,000 residents, are largely in legal migration routes such as work, study, and family visas. Visa overstay rates for Nigerians exist, but they are not among the highest globally.
So why the urgency? Politics.
As expected, African leaders often sign agreements placed before them by Western countries, partly to maintain diplomatic goodwill and ensure smooth visits. Those glossy pictures matter; they signal acceptance and validation. The endorsement of Western leaders, even those who once described Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt,” still carries weight.
The agreement feels like this: a child runs away from home seeking a better future after enduring hardship, and instead of fixing the home, the parent visits the new host to make the child’s stay difficult. You want them back, but to what exactly?
In the age of rising nationalism and global economic uncertainty, living abroad is no longer the dream it once was. Many Nigerian immigrants in the UK quietly admit that the reality is tougher than expected. Some who held executive positions back home now struggle in lower-paying roles abroad, particularly in sectors like construction, warehousing, healthcare, and social care.
Their consolation is often long-term, securing permanent residency and eventually citizenship. According to UK immigration policy, most migrants qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain after 5 years, but policy discussions have suggested possible extensions to 10 years, which would significantly delay settlement prospects.
For many, especially those in demanding care roles, this means a longer period of economic and professional stagnation. Degrees go unused. Dreams are deferred. The promise of a better future, if not for them, then for their children, keeps them going.
The UK understands this dynamic and continues to adjust its immigration system accordingly. But the underlying question remains: if Nigeria worked, would so many Nigerians still feel compelled to leave?
Yet, the agreement was signed anyway.
The photo ops were brilliant. And I am sure the Minister of Interior, Ojo, will keep his copies as memorabilia.
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