Some Nigerian entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom have said that despite challenges like navigating unfamiliar systems and breaking into new markets, the UK business environment has been favourable.\n<\/p>\n
Speaking to PUNCH Online in an interview, Ayomide Babadele, a fashion and interior designer now based in Birmingham, moved to the UK in 2023 to pursue a master\u2019s degree in project management at Birmingham City University. She relaunched her business, Anthillbyenitan, which she originally started in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all began back in Bowen University. I used to make a few pieces for my coursemates. Officially, I\u2019ve been running the fashion and interior business for six to seven years, mainly between Abuja and Lagos,\u201d Babadele told PUNCH Online.\n<\/p>\n
She noted that her UK relaunch late last year has attracted a diverse clientele, including Nigerians, Lebanese, Algerians, Asians, and Britons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll our fabrics are designed by me and sourced from Lagos. It\u2019s always been a dream to take the richness of these fabrics \u2014 Adire, Aso Oke, and more \u2014 to the global scene,\u201d she said. \u201cThey love the prints and colours. It pops for them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
However, Babadele noted challenges in starting a business as a foreigner.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no clear guide for starting a business in England. Business registration, finding networks, breaking into an industry with limited representation \u2014 it\u2019s been emotionally tasking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A recent highlight was exhibiting at the World African Heritage Day celebration hosted by Lloyd\u2019s Bank, where she received \u201camazing feedback and sales\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
She advised aspiring Nigerian entrepreneurs in the UK, stating, \u201cYou can\u2019t be shy doing business here. You have to speak from a place of purpose and inspiration. Visibility is everything.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chisom Anoruo, another Birmingham-based entrepreneur, in a separate interview, said she relaunched her baking brand, Somdrew\u2019s Cakes, earlier this year after pausing operations to focus on her master\u2019s degree in project management.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a full-time job for me back home. I came here, paused the business because of my studies and visa restrictions. But earlier this year, I prayed and felt led to start again,\u201d Anoruo said.\n<\/p>\n
She noted that since receiving her first order in March, she has baked a wedding cake and other pastries, steadily building her reputation.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had Nigerian, Gambian, Jamaican customers \u2014 mostly people within my circle. The feedback has been overwhelming,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
However, she faces challenges like brand awareness and logistics.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t know you yet, so they can\u2019t trust your work until they see results. Logistics, too, has been tricky. In Nigeria, I could easily get a dispatch rider. Here, I have to gather the right information before even registering my business,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n
Anoruo emphasised the importance of preparation, stating, \u201cInformation is key. You can\u2019t just jump into things. But people are responsive if you present your products well.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Another entrepreneur, Olamide Bakare, said that he is a photographer who relocated to the UK in 2023. He added that he found success by tapping into the Nigerian community while attracting clients from other backgrounds.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cBreaking into a new market is never easy. But starting with the Nigerian community here gave me a strong foundation,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
According to him, his photography business is growing steadily, welcoming \u201cindividuals, communities, and organisations alike.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Bakare highlighted the importance of aligning with UK regulations, stating, \u201cLiving by the rules of the land is the foundation for growth and success. Once you respect the system, it\u2019s easier to flourish.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
He also praised the UK\u2019s business environment, adding, \u201cThe UK provides fertile ground for growth, where dedication and consistency are rewarded. For instance, it takes about 24 hours to get your business registered without you leaving your home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another entrepreneur, Marianne Agolia, said she moved to the UK in 2022, and founded Lightup Families Ltd to help migrants navigate the UK job market.\n<\/p>\n
She said that she drew inspiration from her own struggles as a migrant in 2008 and launched her company in January 2025 after completing a master\u2019s in project management at Worcester Business School.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI had challenges navigating through the UK job market and working culture, which eventually impacted my continuous stay in the UK,\u201d she said. \u201cI said to myself, if I ever have another opportunity again, I\u2019ll provide that support system for migrants.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
According to her, though less than six months old, her business is already making an impact.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cImmigrants without permanent resident status do not have access to job support services here, so it came as a big relief to most migrants,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
Agolia noted that the UK offers ample support for small businesses, unlike her experience in Nigeria, where unstable markets and policies led to the closure of her previous ventures.\n<\/p>\n
The wave of Nigerian migration, known as \u201cjapa,\u201d has become significant enough to be recognised in the Oxford English Dictionary, according to a February PUNCH report.<\/p>\n
Data from the UK\u2019s Higher Education Statistics Agency indicates that over 128,000 Nigerian students enrolled in British universities between 2015 and 2022, driven by the pursuit of better education and quality of life.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some Nigerian entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom have said that despite challenges like navigating unfamiliar systems and breaking…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[9392,64,9393,607,409,9394,9395,9396,9207,9397,9398,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-8013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-birmingham-business","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-challenges","11":"tag-entrepreneurship","12":"tag-immigration","13":"tag-london-business","14":"tag-nigerian-diaspora","15":"tag-nigerian-entrepreneurs","16":"tag-small-business","17":"tag-success-stories","18":"tag-uk-business","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}