Sadiq Khan Lagos visit highlights the city as Africa’s cultural capital while promoting trade ties, economic collaboration, and creative industry partnerships

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has described Lagos as Africa’s cultural capital during his ongoing Sadiq Khan Lagos visit as part of a trade mission to the continent.

Also read: Nigeria, EU Launch €20m Cultural Partnership to Boost Economy

Khan, the first Muslim to serve as Mayor of London, is leading the city’s first official trade mission to Africa. His five-day visit covers Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Cape Town, aiming to strengthen economic and cultural ties.

“This week I’ll be visiting Africa to bang the drum for our great capital city – and to do everything I can to develop further the economic ties and cultural links that bind London and countries in Africa,” he wrote in an op-ed published in City AM.

He praised Lagos for its creative influence, writing, “This is Lagos. Africa’s cultural capital – from Nollywood to Afrobeats to fashion. I’m here to deepen our cultural ties and celebrate what unites us.”

Gboyega Akosile, media adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, welcomed him warmly. “Welcome to Lagos, the city of aquatic splendour and Nigeria’s economic, commercial and cultural capital,” he wrote.

Khan also referenced the UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which allows over 3,000 Nigerian products duty-free access to the UK market.

“With trade between the UK and Africa worth £50bn in 2024, and UK exports up seven per cent year-on-year, there is a strong economic logic to us visiting Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana, and Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa,” he noted.

He added, “Today, more businesses expand into Africa from London than any other city globally.”

Also read: Lagos Agritourism Development Initiative Sparks Unforgettable Cultural Growth

Khan’s visit comes at a time when Africa is the world’s most rapidly urbanising region, offering expanding opportunities for collaboration across tech, health, finance and sustainability.