A spirited Twitter exchange has gone viral after Nigerian user Ifedayo (@ifedayo_johnson) publicly challenged a British user, @BasedNorthmathr, to an English proficiency battle.
It all started when @BasedNorthmathr made a sweeping comment questioning why the UK care sector had become “critically dependent on Nigerians who barely speak English.” In response, Ifedayo called for a fair fight — an IELTS-style English test covering reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
“If your overall score is higher than mine,” Ifedayo said, “I’ll pack my bags and leave this country within 24 hours. But if I score higher, you’ll never again question or disrespect the English skills of any Nigerian.”
The Brit accepted the challenge, agreeing to take the same online IELTS practice test.
“I’ll get back to you,” he added, signaling that the battle of brains might just go live soon.
But this viral moment isn’t just Twitter drama. It touches a nerve at the heart of a larger debate.
The UK government is already planning to introduce mandatory annual English language tests for migrant graduates who remain in the country through the Graduate Route. This new policy aims to ensure that only the “best and brightest” stay in the UK — a move that has raised eyebrows, especially among educated immigrants from countries like Nigeria, where English is the official language.
[Read the full story on the new Graduate Route English test policy here.]
If the test happens, many Nigerians are rooting for Ifedayo to prove a point — that fluency isn’t defined by accent, and that Nigeria’s place in the global conversation isn’t one to be mocked.
See the tweets below…
