How British-Nigerians quietly made their way to the top
A story of modern migration has had extraordinary results

At Akoko, an upscale restaurant in central London, Nigerian staples such as moi-moi, a stodgy bean pudding, and mosa, a savoury doughnut made from overripe plantain, become fine dining. Staff shuttle steaming bowls of jollof rice across the restaurant to clients paying £120 ($160) for a tasting menu, plus another £95 for a wine pairing. (A shorter £55 lunch menu exists for the time-pressed, the tightwads and those husbanding expense accounts.) This year Akoko won its first Michelin star. It was joined by Chishuru, another Nigerian joint. Its owner, Adejoké Bakare, has gone from being a have-a-go chef working out of a temporary spot in Brixton Market in south London to a Michelin-star-winning West End mainstay in barely four years.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The Nigerian moment ”
Britain
October 5th 2024- Britain’s Conservatives adopt the bad habits of the Labour left
- Why on earth would anyone go to a British party conference?
- Ukrainians are settling down in Britain. That creates a problem
- Gigafactories and dashed dreams: the parable of Blyth
- The scourge of stolen bikes in Britain
- Britain’s last coal-fired power station closes
- How British-Nigerians quietly made their way to the top

From the October 5th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
In praise of flag-shagging
To govern Britain, it helps to like it

How Britain decides which drugs to buy
The NHS can’t afford all the latest miracle drugs. A quango decides who misses out

Are hits like “Adolescence” good or bad for Britain?
Commissions by streaming services are a mixed blessing for British production companies
The splintering of British politics
Nine months into power, the Labour Party has haemorrhaged support
Birmingham’s bin strikes reveal local problems—and a national one
Rubbish policy and rubbish on the streets
Britain’s government has entered the steel industry with no plan
Even its strongest argument, national security, needs closer scrutiny