Nigerian designers are securing more British fashion visas than applicants from any other country.
The surge highlights both the growing global influence of Nigerian fashion and the UK’s effort to expand ethnic diversity in its creative industries.
From 2019 to 2024, Nigerians submitted 291 applications for the UK’s Global Talent fashion visa, far outpacing other nationalities. Chinese designers filed the second-highest number, with 67 applications.
Endorsements for Nigerians have also risen sharply, climbing from just three in 2019 to 145 in 2024. Of these, 71 applications have been backed by the British Fashion Council (BFC), more than for any other nationality, according to reports by The Telegraph.
The BFC, a nonprofit group tasked with endorsing talent visas on behalf of the UK Home Office, receives roughly £2 million annually from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to promote British fashion. The council has made diversity a priority, particularly since the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and its endorsements reflect a broader trend of integrating African talent into the UK fashion ecosystem.
The report noted that the Global Talent visa program requires applicants to show evidence of exceptional ability including proof of sales and international media coverage. Some Nigerian designers have turned to local media reports or social media activity, including Instagram discussions, to meet these criteria.
The rise of Nigerian fashion has coincided with increasing international attention. The Victoria and Albert Museum hosted a landmark African Fashion exhibition in 2022–23, while Lagos’s Arise Fashion Week, now in its 13th year, continues to attract global recognition, with endorsements from high-profile figures such as British supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Word of the visa route has also spread online. Nigerian designers frequently share advice on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, encouraging peers to pursue the Global Talent visa rather than rely solely on post-study work permits.
The boom in Nigerian fashion applications reflects a larger trend across artistic categories. Since 2019, Nigerians have filed 729 applications for Global Talent visas spanning literature, film, music, dance, and visual arts, second only to the United States’ 977 applications. Yet Nigeria’s endorsement rate remains relatively low: 59%, compared with higher rates among other top applicant countries.
While more than 5,000 artistic Global Talent visa applications have been filed globally since 2019, the UK Arts Council has endorsed about 3,600. The Home Office does not disclose how many endorsements ultimately result in visas issued.