This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jerry Chiemeke, a writer from London, about moving to the UK from Nigeria. Business Insider has verified his visa with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Muhammadu Buhari became president in 2015. Under his leadership, there was national concern over human rights violations and an economic downturn. Our currency was impacted, and my friends started leaving, looking for better career opportunities in countries like the US, Canada, and the UK.
In Nigeria, I worked in law and media communications and also pursued writing. I reviewed books, wrote essays, and published poetry as a side venture, and also published a collection of short stories in 2020.
I wanted to be known as a writer, but I was unsure whether I should continue developing my career in Nigeria.
I began planning to leave the country. Many young people became disillusioned after taking part in protests that culminated in a massacre. I didn't want to live in a country that I felt actively tried to eliminate its youth.
I eventually moved to the UK in 2022 on a Global Talent visa . I wanted to continue building my career as a creative, but I've since found it difficult to find permanent work.
The UK is linked to Nigeria through the Commonwealth, and there's a large Nigerian community here. I felt there were spaces where I would belong. I'd seen other Nigerian writers do well in the UK too.
I was accepted into some master's programs at British universities in 2021, but ultimately, the tuition fees and financial costs made it a more stressful option in the long term.
One of my friends suggested the Global Talent visa for skilled people in the academic, tech, and arts fields. It seemed like a good option with a viable pathway to getting indefinite leave to remain, where you can live and work in the UK as long as you like, and the opportunity for my creative work to be rewarded in the UK.
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