London Mayor Sadiq Khan to visit Nigeria, Ghana, SA

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is set to visit Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa this month as part of efforts to strengthen cultural connections between London and Africa, and to explore opportunities to boost trade.

The announcement of his upcoming foreign tour, however, has stirred some controversy. Critics have accused Khan of avoiding pressing questions about issues in London while turning his focus to overseas engagements.

The mayor revealed the African destinations during a visit on Thursday to The Flygerians, a Nigerian restaurant located in Peckham, South London.

While there, he participated in preparing traditional Nigerian meals, underscoring the cultural bridge between London and the African diaspora.

Susan Hall, the leader of the City Hall Conservatives, criticised Sir Sadiq for failing to attend a London Assembly meeting scrutinising his plans to part-pedestrianise Oxford Street, which was also being held on Thursday afternoon.

The assembly was voting on whether to approve or block Sir Sadiq’s wish to gain control of Oxford Street – famed for stores such as Selfridges, HMV and John Lewis – via the setting-up of a mayoral development corporation.

Ms Hall told the assembly: “Apparently the mayor is at a Nigerian restaurant. I hope is enjoying his jollof pot. He is far more interested in Lagos than he is in John Lewis.”

Prior to the meeting, she had asked Sir Sadiq why he was not available to answer questions about his proposals for Oxford Street.

Sir Sadiq, who had spent two-and-a-half hours on Thursday morning answering the assembly’s questions about transport, replied: “I suspect I’m busy with other things.”

He will become the first London mayor to lead a trade delegation to Africa.

Details of the mayor’s wish to visit Africa first emerged late last year.

The five-day tour of the continent will take him to Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana and Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa.

The mayor will hope to build on the extensive connections with the capital’s growing African diaspora, and “bang the drum” for more trade links with London.