Words by Yemisi Suleiman

Susan Fajana-Thomas, a Nigerian-born trailblazing politician in the UK, shares her inspiring journey from community advocate to a key figure in the UK Labour government. With her Nigerian heritage and unwavering commitment to equality and justice, Fajana-Thomas has been a powerful voice for change in Hackney and beyond.

In this exclusive interview, the former Broadcaster discusses her challenges and triumphs in British politics, her vision for stronger UK-Nigeria relations, and her dedication to advancing gender equality and diaspora voting rights.

What inspired you into politics and how has the journey been?
I have been an advocate for as long as I can remember, inspired by my late father’s work in the community. I always describe myself first, as an advocate, and second, as a politician. As a politician, my primary role is to represent the people and to advocate for better lives. Sometimes, we see politicians getting carried away, focusing more on policies as policymakers than on their representation. You were meant to be representing people. I have been active as a woman for a long time, even before I left Nigeria. You might be too young to remember this, but when General Babangida was in power in Nigeria, his wife, Mariam Babangida, initiated a program called, “Better Life For Rural Women.” I was involved in that movement, as well as in a related initiative called “Urban Women,” which was led by Feyi George, the First Lady of Ondo State. This involvement took place while I was a TV presenter at NTA in Akure.

Equipped with these skills and experiences from Nigeria, when I got to the UK, I got involved with various organisations, such as the London Asylum and Refugees Network, as a mentor, and supported many refugee families from Eastern Europe, advocating for residents living in social housing, setting up a residents association and a resource centre. It was all the work I did in the local community that made me receive encouragement from the local Labour Party leadership to stand as a local councillor in the late 90s.

Your party was off the scene for 14 years, what was it like for you then and now?

Things are going well, and I am proudly settling into a Labour government after 14 years of challenging Conservative government. As you know, I am a Labour Party politician, and it was not easy to struggle in opposition for 14 years. I sought selection to become a Member of Parliament in the last election, but it didn’t happen. I’m glad I’m still here and delivering for the people of Hackney.

Now that your party is in government, what do you intend to do differently, especially with regards to the diaspora community?

The first point to emphasise is that the Labour Party is fundamentally different from the Conservative Party because we prioritise strong communities. Unlike the Conservatives, Labour politicians are driven by a desire to improve the system so that everyone can benefit. We prioritise delivering value for everyone in the UK, which is essential to us.
Our focus revolves around supporting the most vulnerable members of our community, creating opportunities for young people, working class and fighting inequalities in our society. As I mentioned earlier, the Labour government has developed policies to benefit the people of our country. In areas such as the economy, the NHS, education, crime reduction, clean energy, and more, Labour has the best strategies to get the country back on track after the failures of the Conservatives.

You are currently a Councillor and a Cabinet Member in the London Borough of Hackney, how are you impacting lives with your role?
As a cabinet member, I have political leadership and strategic direction for areas such as crime reduction, anti-social, policing, licensing, tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, night time economy, environmental protection, and environmental health. It’s quite a wide area of portfolio. My position is like a Commissioner in Nigeria; in the UK, we have two tiers of government; the Local Government and Parliament, unlike Nigeria, where you have three-tier, Local Government, State and Federal.

We hear of various crimes happening on the streets in hackey; what safety measures are you putting in place?

As a local authority, we collaborate closely with the police and other agencies to ensure our community remains safe through the statutory framework of the Community Safety Partnership. We use what we call, Serious Violence Duty Needs Assesment (SNA) to help prevent and reduce serious violence. The SNA helps inform the development of a local strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence and is published annually.
In terms of practical things, we have enforcement officers working with the police, we have CCTV on our streets, improved lighting. We also work with young people who might be at risk of going into criminal activities and prepare for emergencies. We have a special team that works in the community to prevent hate crime, and knife and gun crimes.

What opportunities do you see for Nigeria and the UK, particularly in areas of trade, education, and healthcare?

I believe there are many opportunities for us to collaborate. The historical connections between the two countries pose both challenges and opportunities. The UK government has collaborated with Nigerian citizens, NGOs, businesses, and the Nigerian government. The UK’s objective in Nigeria is to support a more stable, inclusive, resilient, healthy, and prosperous Nigeria that sees the UK as a strategic partner for peace, climate action, trade, and development.The UK already has annual bilateral dialogues on issues of shared importance including, Security and Defence, Migration, Justice and Home Affairs and Economic Development.
In terms of education, many Nigerians have been trained in the UK. However, the number of Nigerian international students in the UK has declined for various reasons, including visa challenges and the weakness of the Naira. Currently, it is estimated that 7% of international students in the United Kingdom are from Nigeria, which is still a lot.
Also, there are individuals or state collaborations; for instance, my father- figure, Aare Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University, ABUA, in 2023, donated £10 million to King’s College London, to establish the Afe Babalola African Centre for Transnational Education. The center’s goal is to provide educational opportunities and access to young Africans who might not otherwise have them.

Through Cater and Merger, the convener of the London Political Summit, Akwa Ibom State students participated in an exchange educational program earlier this year. Last year, the governor of Akwa Ibom State was one of the guests from Africa. The discussions about collaboration at that summit resulted in a partnership that brought around 20 young people from Akwa Ibom to the UK early this summer.
I’m aware that Imperial College London is engaging with young people in Nigeria through the efforts of a Nigerian lecturer, Dr. Sunday Popo Ola from the institution. There are engagement between the UK and Nigeria, we just need to strengthen and structure them more effectively.

How does your Nigerian heritage influence your work as a councillor in Hackney?

Life in the UK is quite different, and it can be challenging for someone like me, who grew up in Nigeria and moved here as an adult. However, the Nigerian “can-do” attitude– hardworking nature, and intelligence are hereditary and have helped me on my journey. I often watch the ‘Proudly to be a Nigerian’ video circulating on social media for inspiration, as it reminds me of the greatness of Nigerians. Yes, we no dey carry last!
In my role, I am grateful for the opportunity I have. This job requires intelligence, a clear understanding of what I’m doing, and a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and experience. It is a highly sensitive area, so thank goodness for the Naija genes.

What challenges still exist in terms of bridging racial inequality in the UK?

Racial discrimination is a real and present issue in the UK. As a Black African, I have experienced it and suffered because of it. Within any society, there are individual acts of racism. Institutional racism exists within our system, either deliberately or inadvertently. Black and global majority communities in the UK face challenges related to inequality in education, health, housing, and the judiciary.
However, as a society, we are actively working to address racism, and many people are standing up to challenge it. As a committed advocate against racism, I will always call it out whenever I see it.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in UK politics, and how have you gone about surmounting them?

Politics is challenging, and you must be resilient to succeed. People will challenge you, whether you are a man or a woman in leadership, but becoming a female leader presents it’s own unique difficulties. As a woman of African heritage, I face intersectional challenges such as the lack of family roots in the UK, harassment, limited career growth opportunities, and discrimination. Society’s mindset about men as traditional leaders is changing, but we still have a long way to go for gender equality. Having said that, there other women who are either envious of the power and platform that other women have, and they will adopt the pull-down syndrome.
As a woman, there are some individuals who may not view you as a suitable leader. They may underestimate your abilities, perceive you as a dependent individual, and, most notably, create an environment that leads you to doubt yourself. What I’ve done over the years is, I’ve stood up for myself and I’ve learned to pick my battles because It’s not all battles you want to fight.

What do think of the possibility of diaspora voting in the Nigerian elections in 2027?

Although it’s unlikely for 2027, we in the diaspora, alongside the brilliant NIDCOM, continue to advocate for amendment o the law to permit this. As a politician, I understand that there are many logistics involved; conducting elections overseas is not easy. In addition to logistics, a substantial investment is needed to ensure fairness and credibility. I would love it to happen, and the journey continues.

What word do you have for politicians in Nigeria?
Politics is about creating a better life for the people and being accountable. That is lacking in Nigerian democracy. The majority of Nigerian politicians are selfish, with due respect to a very few of them.
In the UK, politicians’ salaries are seen as allowance; enough to pay your bills and live a comfortable life. While politics in Nigeria is seen as a get-rich-quick career, a way to amass wealth. Not until Nigerian politicians start thinking that they are there to make policies that will better the lives of people, things would not change.