A vibrant Twitter exchange has been all the rage after Nigerian user ifdayo (@ifdayo_johnson) publicly challenged British user @basednorthmathr.
It all started with @basednorthmathr’s detailed comments questioning why the UK nursing department is “very heavily dependent on Nigerians in English”. In response, Ifdayo calls for a fair fight – an IELTS-style English test covers reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Ifdayo said, “If your overall score is higher than mine, I pack up and leave the country within 24 hours. But if I score higher, you will never question or disrespect any Nigerian’s English skills again.”
The British accepted the challenge and agreed to take the same online IELTS practice test.
He added: “I will be back to you.
But this virus moment is not just Twitter drama. It touches the heart of a larger debate.
The UK government has planned to conduct mandatory annual English tests for immigrant graduates who stay in the country through the postgraduate route. The new policy aims to ensure the “best and smartest” staying only in the UK – a move that has attracted attention, especially among educated immigrants from countries such as Nigeria, which is the official language.
[Read the full story on the new Graduate Route English test policy here.]
If tested, many Nigerians are taking root in Ifdayo to prove a point of view—this fluency is not defined by an accent, and Nigeria’s position in global dialogue is not a person to be ridiculed.
Please see the tweet below…
