For many Nigerians who boarded flights to the United Kingdom in search of a better life, the dream was simple: secure a decent job, give the children a better education, build financial stability and send something home to loved ones. But for an increasing number of Nigerians and African households, the reality of life in Britain has become a painful exercise in arithmetic, with every pound stretched between groceries, rent, transport, school expenses, electricity and gas. WALE ELEGBEDE reports from London
Economic pressure is particularly pilling up for migrant workers and international students who arrived the United Kingdom with borrowed money, depleted family savings and expectations of earning enough to recover their investments.
With household expenses mounting, fuel costs feeding into the price of goods and winter approaching, some immigrants who largely arrived the UK from around year 2021 are questioning how long they can continue to survive without sacrificing their health, dignity or future.
For these families, the British dream has not necessarily disappeared. It has become considerably more expensive.
Chinelo Onuka, a Nigerian care worker with two children, lives in Birmingham, and lately, her household has been forced to reconsider almost every daily purchase.
Speaking exclusively with The Africa Media, she said, “Before, I could enter a supermarket and buy what the family needed without calculating every item. Now, I look at the prices, remove some things and put others back. Sometimes, I have to decide whether to buy the fish, the fruit or something else the children need.’’
The problem is not simply the cost of one product. It is the cumulative effect of food, toiletries, cleaning materials, packed lunches and transport fares consuming a growing share of monthly earnings.
Many African families also try to maintain familiar diets, buying rice, beans, garri, yam, palm oil, peppers and other ingredients used in Nigerian cooking. Some of these products are imported, making their prices sensitive to exchange rates, shipping expenses and distribution costs.
RENT TAKES THE FIRST BITE
Housing is another source of anxiety. In many households, rent is the largest monthly outgoing, leaving little room for unexpected expenses.
The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that average UK private rents reached £1,388 a month in June 2026, an annual increase of 3.3 per cent. In England’s North East, private rent inflation was 6.3 per cent over the same period, highlighting the fact that pressure is not confined to London and the South East.
The figures matter to African families living in cities where employment opportunities are available but affordable family housing remains difficult to secure. Moving further from work may reduce rent, but higher transport costs and longer commutes can eat into the savings.
In Leeds, Raymond Aruna, a nursing assistant with a wife and young child, describes a monthly budget in which rent, council tax and utility payments leave little money for emergencies.
“By the time the rent and bills are paid, what remains has already been assigned to something else. If the car develops a fault or the nursery asks for an additional payment, the whole budget collapses. You cannot tell your landlord that your child’s expenses have increased,” he said.
For households hoping to buy a home, the challenge is equally daunting. Higher borrowing costs can increase monthly mortgage repayments for borrowers whose fixed deals have expired or who need to refinance. Prospective buyers may also struggle to save a deposit while paying high rents.
Image: Maksat Tiktok
THE FUEL PRICE THAT TRAVELS BEYOND THE PUMP
Rising petrol and diesel prices add another layer of pressure. For workers who depend on cars to reach hospitals, care homes, warehouses, offices or workplaces outside convenient public transport routes, driving is not always a luxury that can be abandoned.
Fuel costs can affect the wider economy too. Transport businesses, delivery operators and suppliers face higher operating expenses, some of which may be passed on to consumers through the prices of food, household products and other goods.
For migrant families already working long hours, changing to public transport may be difficult where shifts begin before regular services operate or end late at night. In rural and suburban areas, the available alternatives may be limited.
The impact is especially severe for households balancing employment with childcare. A cheaper journey is not necessarily practical if it means missing a shift, paying for additional childcare or spending several extra hours travelling.
For international students, fuel and transport pressures can compound tuition fees, accommodation costs and the expense of meeting everyday needs. Even those who work within the conditions of their visas may find that available earnings do not stretch as far as expected.
WINTER IS COMING
As autumn gives way to winter, energy costs are becoming a fresh source of dread. For families with young children, elderly relatives or people working from home, switching off the heating is not always a realistic option.
For a family already struggling with rent, food and transport, another increase can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
For Kemi Adebayo, a Nigerian mother of three who moved to Manchester about two years ago, there is an anxiety that comes with colder weather.
She said: “The children cannot sleep in a cold room, but you are frightened to leave the heating on because you know the bill will come.
“You start wearing extra clothes indoors and telling the children to keep the doors closed. It is exhausting because you are trying to protect their health while worrying about how you will pay.’’
LEGAL RESIDENTS, BUT LOCKED OUT OF BENEFITS
One of the most difficult aspects of the crisis for some Nigerian migrant families is their immigration status.
People on Skilled Worker and Student visas may be lawfully resident in Britain, working or studying and paying taxes where applicable, yet still be subject to a condition known as No Recourse to Public Funds, commonly called NRPF.
Under the UK Government’s published guidance, this condition restricts access to most specified benefits and housing assistance. Skilled Worker and Student visa holders are commonly subject to it, although individual circumstances and immigration conditions must be checked.
The distinction is important. Being legally resident does not automatically confer eligibility for every welfare payment, while settlement is not the only possible route to eligibility. Some contribution-based benefits and statutory payments are excluded from the immigration definition of public funds, subject to their individual qualifying conditions.
For families without settlement, the practical consequence can be a narrower safety net at precisely the time they need help most.
Michael Mensah, a Ghanaian customer service agent in Leicester, describes the dilemma as a question of responsibility without sufficient financial breathing space.
“You come here legally, you work and you try to obey every rule. But when the bills become too much, you cannot assume that help will be available. You are afraid of falling behind because there are people depending on you here and people depending on you back home,” he said.
For some families, the pressure is intensified by the money borrowed to make the journey in the first place.
Some migrants also continue to support relatives in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and other African countries. Remittances may pay school fees, medical expenses or household costs. Reducing the amount sent home can feel like abandoning family members, but maintaining previous transfers can leave the migrant household short of money.
WHAT ECONOMISTS SAY FAMILIES CAN DO
The solution cannot simply be to tell struggling households to budget better. When essential expenses rise faster than disposable income, budgeting can reduce waste but cannot manufacture money that does not exist.
Giving a handout to struggling households on how to budget better, a Nigerian-British economist based in London, Dr Akin Balogun, urged households to begin by identifying the costs they can influence without compromising essential needs.
“The first step is to know exactly where the money goes. Separate essential expenses from discretionary spending, review subscriptions, compare supermarket prices and examine whether a different transport arrangement would genuinely save money. But families should not confuse disciplined budgeting with a complete solution to an income problem,” he told The Africa Media.
He noted further that households should set a realistic monthly cash flow plan, setting aside even a small emergency reserve when possible, reviewing mobile phone and insurance contracts before renewal and comparing energy tariffs using actual household consumption.
“Where possible, people should look for ways to increase sustainable income through recognised qualifications, career progression, additional work permitted by their immigration conditions or better paid employment.
“But they must understand the rules of their visa before accepting extra work, and they should avoid borrowing at expensive rates simply to maintain appearances.’’ he said.
As winter approaches, the challenge is becoming more immediate. A family cannot postpone heating indefinitely. Children must eat, rent must be paid and workers must find a way to reach their jobs.
The British dream was supposed to offer a pathway to stability. For some Nigerians and other African migrants, it has become a monthly struggle to stay afloat while paying for the very future they came to build.
Their message is not necessarily that Britain has nothing to offer. It is that opportunity loses its meaning when the cost of securing it leaves a family perpetually one bill away from crisis.
For policymakers, employers, community organisations and migrant support services, the question is whether these households can be helped to move beyond mere survival. For the families themselves, the immediate concern is much simpler: keeping food on the table, keeping the home warm and finding enough money to make it to the next payday.
