To Japa or to Japada
UK wants only the best and brightest immigrants in their country and they won’t settle for less
Happy Friday and pre-salary day, Big Brains. I hope you buy yourself a nice “I’ve tried” gift today. And don’t forget to close that laptop till Monday. I won’t be closing mine so let me live vicariously through you.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1100
Reading time ~4 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Migrant Graduates to Face Annual English Tests Under New UK Visa Crackdown
Zamfara Governor Announces ₦30,000 Minimum Wage Payments to Begin in June
Former Minister of Aviation and Brother Plead Not Guilty to Alleged N19.4bn Fraud
Generator fumes reportedly kill Nigerian students
The Big Deal
Migrant Graduates to Face Annual English Tests Under New UK Visa Crackdown
You might want to take a moment of silence for the Japa dreams that the United Kingdom’s new policy is about to kill.
The UK government is currently reviewing a policy that will subject immigrants who moved to the country using the graduate study route to take yearly mandatory English tests. The graduate study route, which allows immigrant graduates to work in the UK for 2 years, is a fave for Nigerians who dream of seeking greener pastures in the UK. In 2023 alone, about 24,722 Nigerians moved to the UK through student visa. Unfortunately for Nigerians, the UK government isn’t a fan of the rising numbers.
The new policy is reportedly supposed to allow only the “best and brightest” immigrants into the UK.
And there’s more …
To stay true to their “best and brightest” standards, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also thinking of banning “low quality” postgraduate courses many immigrants use as a way to enjoy the benefit of working in the UK for two years after graduation without necessarily caring about academic pursuits.
The UK government has been applying more pressure to their plans of reducing the number of immigrants moving to the country with similar policies.
In January, the UK stopped immigrants from moving to the country with dependents. Two months later, it also stopped health workers from bringing in dependents. Ever since, the number of Nigerians moving to the UK has reduced drastically.
Why’s this a big deal?
Every Nigerian and their mom knows at least one person that wants to move abroad. The desire to seek greener pastures is fueled by major issues like high inflation rate, rising cost of living, insecurity and high unemployment rates. For many Nigerians, the UK is a preferred alternative.
The government has confirmed that the new policy is going to make the number of immigrants moving into the country in 2024 drop drastically. When the policy gets approved by the Cabinet, Nigerians who have moved or who intend to move to the UK through the graduate visa route will have to compulsorily prove that they can speak good English every year. While we don’t have any information regarding what happens if one fails this test, we assume that they would probably be asked to return to their home country since the end goal is to reduce the number of immigrants.
If that’s the case, not only would Nigerians with pending immigration dreams be forced to consider other countries, Nigerians living in the UK might be forced to japada – move back to Nigeria.
Zamfara Governor Announces ₦30,000 Minimum Wage Payments to Begin in June
We all have that one friend that is always the last to catch up on trends, and today, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State is that friend.
The governor has announced that his administration is finally ready to start paying a minimum wage of ₦30,000 instead of ₦7,000 from next month.
Here’s the part that you may either find comical or concerning, the law that created Nigeria’s ₦30,000 minimum wage was passed in 2019 under Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Governor Dauda took “fashionably late” a bit too seriously, effecting the ₦30,000 minimum wage five years after its enactment and two months after its expiration. The country is currently on a warpath to create a new minimum wage that matches the rising cost of living.
According to a statement released by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the new minimum wage is related to the state government’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare. The governor also added that he’s dedicated to his “rescue mission” for Zamfara workers.
Meanwhile, Labour is still advocating for ₦497,000 minimum wage…
The Organised Labour and federal government have been haggling negotiating since last week. Labour started with a ₦615,000 request, and the FG countered with a ₦48,000. They’ve been doing a lot of back and forth but the latest offer from the government stands at ₦57,000 but Labour isn’t willing to go below ₦497,000.
As great as a ₦497,000 minimum wage sounds, the government’s response to the Labour’s demands so far has not been encouraging.
Former Minister of Aviation and Brother Plead Not Guilty to Alleged N19.4bn Fraud
If you think consistency isn’t your strong suite, you have a thing or two to learn from the former minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika. Earlier this month, we reported that Sirika allegedly used his position as the Minister of Aviation to award contracts to his daughter, son in-law and associates after which they pleaded not guilty and got granted bail of ₦100 million.
Barely two weeks later, the Economic and Financial Crimes Corporation (EFCC) slammed Sirika with a fresh set of fraud charges. Sirika, his brother Ahmad Sirika, and a company called Enginos Nigeria Limited, were charged with a ₦19.4 billion fraud case.
The charges can be traced to contracts the aviation ministry allegedly awarded to Enginos Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Sirika’s brother. The EFCC said Sirika broke the law under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which states that “any person who corruptly gives, confers or procures any property or benefit of any kind to, on or for a public officer or to, on or for any other person is guilty of an offence of official corruption and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for seven (7) years”.
On today’s episode of “Keeping up with the Sirikas”…
As promised, we’ve been keeping up with the Sirikas and we have updates. The brothers pled not guilty to all charges against them. The duo were reportedly granted ₦100 million bail and restricted from leaving the country without the court's permission.
We respect the former minister’s consistency and we hope that the third time wouldn’t be the charm.
Generator fumes reportedly kill Nigerian students
In a tragic incident at Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amassoma, Bayelsa state, at least seven undergraduate students have lost their lives after inhaling generator fumes in a music studio.
The students, who were involved in the music recording business to help fund their education, had worked late into Monday night and fell asleep in the locked studio with the generator still running. Six bodies were discovered on Tuesday morning, while one student, found unconscious, was taken to a nearby hospital but later died, according to local reports.
Residents raised the alarm when they looked through the studio window and saw the bodies on the floor. Police arrived and sealed off the area after removing the bodies in the Amarata area of Yenagoa, the state capital.
"Investigations are ongoing," the police spokesperson Musa Mohammed told BBC. “Based on what we have observed, carbon monoxide poisoning from the generator fumes is a likely cause."
The Big Picks
Sanusi Reinstated As Emir Of Kano: Four years after his deposition as Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II has been reinstated to the throne by Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf.
Alleged Money Laundering: Binance Executive Slumps In Court: The trial of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan at the Federal High Court in Abuja took a dramatic turn when the defendant collapsed in court on Thursday.
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