Kainene (28) sent over 120 applications before getting the job that took her to England. In this story, she shares why it was important for her to leave Nigeria, her experiences in England, and dealing with racism as a healthcare professional.

Where do you live now, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I presently live in England, United Kingdom (UK). I left Nigeria around mid-2023.

What inspired you to leave?

I really wanted a better paying job. So, when a colleague who had left told me they had gotten their move to England for a role in the National Health Service (NHS). I thought it was a great idea, so I started the process and eventually landed a job and moved.

What was life like for you in Nigeria?

I’ll say it was fairly steady. After graduation, I was briefly self-employed and worked on private practice gigs. After a year, I got my internship and did the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC). Shortly after that, I got the last job I had before leaving Nigeria.

So my life back home was fairly steady career-wise, but the economy was failing, and I could sense that. Socially, I was not one to do a lot of outdoor things, so I didn鈥檛 have too many expenses. I was content. Thankfully, I also didn鈥檛 have to pay rent because I lived with my parents.

All of those factors gave me the sense that I wasn’t doing too badly. But the salaries from the jobs were just not sufficient. If the trend had continued, things would have gotten pretty bad. I didn鈥檛 wait to get to a point where I was absolutely frustrated with living in Nigeria, but I could just sense that I needed a plan to get out.

What was the process of leaving like? 

Everything took about a year and a half from the time I heard about the opportunity to the time I left.

The process? I had to get a licence to practice in England. I did my research and found the registration link. There were certain fees to pay and a required list of documents, including the ones they needed from my university. I posted those over to England, paid the processing fees, and when they were happy, they informed me when to pay for the registration.

From my application to the registration took about six months. Once I got the license, I started applying for jobs and let me tell you, t鈥檚 a numbers game. I sent about 120 applications, and only got four interviews. Of the four, I got two offers, and I picked the one I felt was more favourable. My employer helped me process my visa application, and I just followed through until I travelled.

What was it like arriving in a new country?

I was curious to see what would happen. I was definitely expecting the change in weather, and it didn鈥檛 disappoint. I was ready for the cold, but I wasn’t sure how the people would be. I was hopeful that I wouldn鈥檛 experience racism, which is always a concern for anybody moving to a different country.

I also looked forward to seeing how I would survive as an adult because all the components of adulthood were happening to me for the first time in a different country. I was going to be living out of my parents’ house, so I was going to pay rent. Even though I had lived away from home for two years during my internship and NYSC, I didn’t have to pay rent then because accommodation was provided. Now, I was truly going to live alone.

I was also thinking about the new things I would learn working in a different healthcare system. Back in Nigeria, we heard great things about the UK’s healthcare system, and I was excited to see the positive differences.

What about your social life? How did you find the people?

My first exposure to people in the UK was in the work setting. My employers and co-workers were alright. People will be people anywhere in the world; some are immediately warm, some need a little time to warm up to you. I felt more settled and relaxed around my co-workers, but a bit anxious around the patients;  there鈥檚 no obligation for them to be nice to me. They knew that and they used it.

There were times when people were rude and maybe racist. Working in healthcare specifically means you have to grow a thick skin because, all over the world, patients and their families can be tricky to manage.

Initially, I wasn’t focused on making friends. I was focused on learning the ropes and getting along with the people I had to be around most of the day. I just observed people from a distance. Sometimes I would take a walk on my free days or in the evenings and observe how people interact with one another and their environment.

You’ve had some time now. Where would you say you are with all these things?

Work-wise, I think I’ve blended in significantly. I’ve adapted to the system quite well; I’ve given myself time to learn and unlearn things, and I’m quite comfortable now. I know what to expect with various work scenarios. If I can’t manage by myself, I know how to escalate things to my seniors. There is still a lot more learning to do because I want to progress in my career, but for my level, I am quite confident and settled.

Socially, I’ve made a couple of friends. I started making friends locally, and when they moved to other areas, it allowed me the opportunity to visit other places.

Recently, because of my role, I have had to travel around to see my patients. That has got me to move around and see parts of the region away from where I live. You meet nice people like this. You might not necessarily become friends, but each person you meet teaches you something.

Do you have more British friends or more Nigerian friends?

I’ll say more Nigerian friends because most of the British people I meet are through work, and I like to separate work life from social life. I don’t consider my co-workers my friends. I only allow myself to make friends outside of work. If we work together, I automatically put a boundary on how far we can take our relationship.

Having mostly Nigerians is not because I don’t try to make British friends outside of work, but because friendship occurs more naturally when I see fellow Nigerians or other Black people. It flows naturally. I’ve made a couple of British acquaintances who are nice, but there is sometimes a limitation as to how far the friendship can go because of cultural differences. If either party isn’t deeply curious about the other’s culture, it just stays at a surface level.

Did you meet all your Nigerian friends in the UK?

I have a couple of friends who I knew from Nigeria, mostly people I went to university with, because most of us took the same route to relocating. They鈥檙e all healthcare workers, too. None of them lives close to me presently, so I communicate with them over the phone.

The friends I see frequently are those I actually met here in different ways. Some I met through mutual friends at social gatherings, and some through apps. The apps are just like dating apps, but for making friends.

Have you been back to Nigeria since you left?

No, I haven’t. If I’m being honest, it’s just due to funds. Ticket prices are quite high. I have channelled a lot of my finances into learning to drive and keeping a car. My job requires me to drive, so I had to take driving lessons. I learned how to drive a manual car, and it took a lot more lessons than I anticipated. That took a lot of money from my savings. I bought a car after I passed the test.

So, these expenses, along with supporting my family in Nigeria, have made me put visiting Nigeria on the back burner for now.

Do you ever see yourself returning to Nigeria permanently?

The short answer is no. But who knows? When making long-term plans, you have to have a reason; I currently can鈥檛 find a realistic reason for moving back. I left because the salary I made couldn鈥檛 cut it anymore, and things weren鈥檛 getting better. Why would I go back when those circumstances haven’t improved?

Have you experienced racism in England?

Yes. Sometimes it’s direct, sometimes it’s indirect. Most of these experiences come from interacting with patients. Sometimes you walk into their room, and they look at you in a way that shows they weren’t expecting to see you. They can be cold or passive-aggressive.

There are also times when people do things they don’t realise can be interpreted as racist. Like when they say, “Oh, your English is good. Where did you learn to speak English?” I have to tell them that English is the official language of Nigeria, and I’ve been speaking it all my life.

A co-worker once asked me if we have fast food chains like McDonald’s or Domino’s in my country. I鈥檝e also been asked if we have ice cream and if we have air conditioning. It鈥檚 a lot.

The one that has the most effect on me is in professional situations. Sometimes you share ideas, and they don’t take them seriously because they don’t regard your experience or knowledge, since you didn’t train in their country. They just casually dismiss your ideas. And you know if the same idea came from a local, they鈥檇 have taken it.

Did you have any specific culture shocks?

Yes. It was the transportation, especially. I missed my appointments a number of times in my first few months. I would forget that I had to check the bus times. I would think I could just step out to the bus stop as I did in Nigeria and hop onto any moving bus. But that鈥檚 not how it works.

I would wake up and realise the bus that should have taken me had left half an hour ago, and the next one isn’t for another half hour. That took some getting used to. I had to start making strict plans and setting several reminders for myself.

The seasons were also different. I arrived in June, and on the first night, I noticed it was still very bright at 10:00 p.m. That was exciting to see. It mostly happens from spring to summer.

I was quite surprised by just how much people smoke here. Adults smoke, and teenagers vape. When taking medical histories, you hear of people who have smoked for more than half their lifetime.

The drinking culture shocked me, too. Going to the pubs purely for drinking is their way of relaxing. In Nigeria, our ideal fun was more about house parties or clubs with dancing, music, and games. There鈥檚 alcohol, of course, but it鈥檚 more about the activities. Here, they actually care a lot about the drinking itself. It surprises me how much they can fit into their bellies. It’s also like a rite of passage for young men to share a pint with their dads.

What has been your worst experience in England?

The worst experience would be learning to drive. A couple of driving instructors wasted my time and money. A particular one kept cancelling our appointments. She had a rule that I needed to give her 48 hours’ notice if I needed to cancel an appointment. But then she would call me to cancel a few hours before the appointment, and I would have already planned my schedule around it. When I complained, she became even more inconsistent, almost like she was punishing me.

When I finally decided to find a different instructor, I still had to chase after her for a refund, and even then, she only gave me part of my money. I was just so fed up with her that I just took it and left.

Sounds really unprofessional. What about your best experience?

The best experience was when I went to the Hull Fair. I got to go on a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel. It’s one of the greatest fun experiences I’ve had here. 

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in England?

I鈥檇 say 6.6. I miss having proximity to my family. I wish I could see them more and go to Nigeria frequently. If I had the finances to travel more often, I think I’d be much happier because I could have that escape and reset around people I love.

I’m also waiting for when I will truly feel like I belong here. But I also fear I might never feel that way. I think even if you’ve lived here for 20 years, the moment you walk into a room, people judge you based on the colour of your skin. They first see your appearance, and it makes them see you as a second-class citizen, or even a second-class human, to be honest. It might never really feel like home.

I also feel like I’m constantly working. I come home from work, try to reset in a few hours, and then I’m working the next morning again. I haven’t really lived that “UK dream” that people imagine.

I remember a conversation with a friend in Nigeria about skincare products. She was talking about how living here means I have access to the original versions of the products. That may be true, but living here doesn’t mean you can automatically afford them. The enjoyment hasn’t started yet. I’m reserving the remaining three point five points for when I start to feel like I’m enjoying myself.

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(30) spent his early years in the UK for medical treatment, so returning in 2018 for a master鈥檚 felt like a fresh start in a familiar place. In this story, he shares great tips for building community and making friends through activities and social clubs, the pain of being so far away when his grandfather passed, and why he keeps putting off his return to Nigeria.

Where do you live currently, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I live in the United Kingdom (UK), currently and I am based in Manchester. I left Nigeria in August 2018.

I was quite sick as a child, so I spent some of my formative years here, getting treatment. I moved back to Nigeria when I was about five years old. After my treatment, I still had to come over once in a while, for maybe a month or two at a time, for follow-ups and to visit family.

What inspired your move in 2018?

I came to do my master’s; it was a bit of a fresh start. Part of it was because my dad was panicking a bit about my future. I was pleasantly surprised when he offered to pay for my master鈥檚, so I took the opportunity.

I think he wasn’t really sure about my career path because I was doing some writing and working in a few Nollywood and media productions here and there. He wanted a bit more structure for me and was worried about my future, so he suggested I get my master鈥檚 in something a bit more formal. I was already somewhat frustrated in Nigeria, so I thought, 鈥淲hy not?鈥�

When did you finish your master鈥檚?

I did a pre-degree programme for about a year, and then I finished my master鈥檚 in early 2021.

But you stayed in the UK after that. What’s behind that decision?

I quite like it here, to be honest. I鈥檝e built a decent community, and I like the country鈥檚 structure and organisation. I鈥檓 pretty happy here, though I do get homesick quite a lot. I鈥檓 very close to my family, particularly my dad and my brother. I miss them, but I also have some family in the UK and very good friends. Even if I move to Nigeria, I think there will still be a bit of a push and pull.

What was life like for you before you left Nigeria in 2018?

I was working as a production assistant on a few Nollywood movies, ad shoots, and things like that. I鈥檓 a big film buff, so a dream of mine at the time was to be the Nigerian equivalent of Christopher Nolan. In my head, I was going to change the game.

But I realised it was extremely tough work and I didn’t have the patience at the time to be a director. I used to be hypercritical of Nollywood, but after working on a few productions, the constraints they faced made me a bit more sympathetic. I realised it isn’t as easy as it seems from the outside. There are a lot of forces and moving pieces that make it much harder than I thought. I needed to give them more credit.

Let’s talk about life in the UK. What was your experience when you first arrived?

When I first arrived, I was a bit nervous. I had ties back in Nigeria and people I really cared about, so I knew I was going to miss them. I was a bit anxious at first, but then I started to settle. I made friends in my programme, and I already had quite a few friends from Nigeria who had moved to the UK. Honestly, I鈥檝e always been a bit of a social butterfly, so that part wasn’t hard.

What kind of activities do you get up to?

If you really get involved with social clubs, you鈥檒l easily have an exciting life in the UK. There鈥檚 also a lot of opportunity and ease to travelling across the UK and also Europe in a way we haven鈥檛 figured out in Nigeria. I鈥檝e really enjoyed exploring here. My friends even call me “waka-about.”

What tips would you give to someone looking to have fun in the UK?

There are social clubs and things people need to try out. It鈥檚 hard to make friends in adulthood, but just know there are other people also looking for community. You have to put yourself out there. You might even have to start doing things you didn’t normally do before. For example, I got into fitness, running, and hiking.

Nigerians like movies, so you can join a movie club. Some people do painting clubs. There are a ton of things to do. Parties are also great for socialisation, but you鈥檒l mostly find those in bigger cities like London, Manchester, or Birmingham, and you have to be willing to spend a bit of money.

You mentioned you love exploring Europe. What鈥檚 your favourite and least favourite country you鈥檝e visited?

My favourite was Italy. I found it so beautiful, and the weather was warm. It finally hit me how Italy makes so much of the world’s wine. You don’t really get it until you’re there and see vineyards stretching for miles. You can drive for an hour and only see vast vineyards.

My least favourite country was Amsterdam. It鈥檚 not bad, but my friends and I walked past the Red Light District, and I found it a bit off-putting. I know it鈥檚 a big tourist attraction, but I found it really strange. I was like, “Yeah, I don’t want to see this again.”

You’ve been in the UK for several years now. Do you feel you’ve hit the milestones in your plan?

I鈥檓 not close to the milestones, I won鈥檛 lie. A part of me is still thinking I need to come back to Nigeria at times. I have career and personal milestones I need to hit. Compared to what 20 or 25-year-old me thought, I鈥檓 not quite where I want to be in my career, though I鈥檓 making some strides.

I thought I鈥檇 be married by 28, with maybe a kid on the way at 30. That doesn’t quite seem to be on the cards right now, but we鈥檒l see.

Are there downsides to the move?

It depends on your situation. I鈥檒l be honest and say my family back in Nigeria is pretty comfortable. If I鈥檓 out of a job for a month or two, I can live with a family friend for short periods until I鈥檓 back on my feet. Not everybody has that luxury, and the UK can be a bit tough if you don鈥檛 have support.

Overall, I feel safer and more stable here than in Nigeria, despite being more privileged in Nigeria.

Have you been back to Nigeria since 2018?

Of course. I try to come back most Christmases. I think I鈥檝e been back for five or six so far. I didn’t make it the first year I moved in 2018, because I moved in August and coming back in December was too soon. The second time I missed it was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The third time, my dad decided to surprise me, my brother, and my mom in the UK, so we spent it here instead of travelling back. It was a cool surprise, but after a day or two, I think we all would have preferred to be in Nigeria instead.

Do you have a favourite December experience?

My favourite one was probably 2019. It was just really fun. I just remember non-stop fun. I don’t know what was in the water that December; it was just a great time. My close friend鈥檚 wedding also added to the fun.

What are your go-to activities when you visit Nigeria?

I have a love-hate relationship with Nigerian concerts. I do enjoy certain artists’ concerts because they tend to start on time and have decent opening acts and sound. But I have such a strong beef with some Nigerian artists because they won鈥檛 come out until around 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. Aren’t you tired yourself? I find it exhausting.

I like plays, so I鈥檒l go to as many as I can. And I also love attending weddings. I enjoy raves too, although the last time I went in December, I was tired by 3:00 a.m., even though it went on for three more hours. I realised maybe I鈥檓 getting to the age where it鈥檚 time to hang it up.

Of course, I鈥檒l catch up with friends, and I really like my family a lot, so I enjoy spending time with them.

My palette has completely adapted to English food and cuisine, but I still enjoy Nigerian food. The only struggle is managing my fitness when I get back to Nigeria because I love food. I have to work out a lot to keep the weight down. In Nigeria, if I don’t wake up super early to run, it gets very humid and hot, which ruins the running experience.

Do you ever see yourself moving back to settle in Nigeria?

I honestly should have moved back about two or three years ago. I think I鈥檓 procrastinating moving back, and all my friends are tired of me saying it.

My dad wants me to work for him, but I鈥檓 not sure I want to do that, and I also have some of my own things going on. I don’t want to completely rely on him. I know I sound like a typical nepo baby who wants to do their own thing, but I really do want to have my own things going.

How do you feel about the political shift in the West and the rise in anti-immigrant sentiments?

It kind of ebbs and flows. I just wish there were more bold leadership instead of people scapegoating immigrants. There is a cost to immigration that was not calculated, like planning for assimilation and building cultural bonds. Instead, there has been an emergence of enclaves.

I won鈥檛 say I feel unsafe, but it is worrying. I feel like no one knows the direction to lead the country, and because of that, they blame immigrants. That conversation has been avoided for a long time, and anti-immigrant groups take advantage of it. If people in power were honest about mistakes made in the initial immigration policy and had a conversation about fixing it, it would be better.

But in the UK, it is still mostly rhetoric. People are not firebombing things or attacking immigrants in the streets en masse. We still have strong structural protections in place that protect you from overt racism. It鈥檚 not great, but it鈥檚 not the end of the world. I just wish for smarter leadership to get the country going.

What has been your worst experience in the UK?

When my granddad passed away in Nigeria. I just wish I were there when he passed. He was my paternal granddad, and we were really close. I thought we鈥檇 have more time to talk and see each other. That鈥檚 the cost of living in another country.

Thank God for technology; in previous generations, once you immigrated, those people were out of sight and out of mind for years. Technology has bridged the gap, but it鈥檚 not the same as being able to see someone and hug them and tell them you love them face-to-face. Not being there for his funeral made me really sad. He was a warm and funny man who really cared about me.

Sorry for your loss. What has been your best experience?

It wasn’t down to one thing, but probably 2024 and 2025 in Manchester. I was just having a blast. I had this really great friend group, and we spent all our time together. My life became like a season of Friends; we鈥檇 see each other three or four times a week. My job wasn’t too bad, I was travelling as much as I wanted, and I was in a very good mental space. I was really happy. I took my fitness seriously and started running. It felt like everything was just going right.

What are your favourite and least favourite things about the UK?

I hate the weather from September to March when it gets cold, grey, and dark. It鈥檚 expensive at times. It鈥檚 less communal; sometimes it鈥檚 nice that people mind their own business, but I miss that communal feeling in Nigeria.

My favourite thing is definitely my friends. I love my friends. I also really love the UK in the summer, from May to August. There are so many festivals, art events, and theatre. It isn’t free, and it eats into my savings, but I have great memories.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in the UK?

I think overall, I鈥檒l give my stay here an eight and a half out of ten. But at this moment, it鈥檚 a seven.

Some of my really close friends left Manchester, so that was heartbreak. My brother also moved back to Nigeria. We are really close, so I miss him a lot. And more money鈥攎uch more money would help. If my friends were back in town and I had more money, it would be a ten.

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Raphael (29) liquidated a successful pharmacy practice in Nigeria to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in England. In this story, he talks about life in England being faster, harder and more racially hostile than he expected. He also shares how he鈥檚 now found the perfect place for a Nigerian immigrant in Scotland.

Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I currently live in Glasgow, Scotland. I left Nigeria in January 2023.

What inspired you to leave?

Honestly, I felt I knew who was going to win the 2023 election. Before I left, I managed a pharmacy practice, but the cost of living and the cost of drugs were going up. I knew that if the ruling party won the election, things were just going to get worse, and I was right.

What was life like before you left?

Life was good, and income was steady because people will always fall sick and need medication. But for me, pharmacy is about patient care, not just business. As time went by, patients who urgently needed medication would come in and wouldn鈥檛 be able to afford the drugs I had on the shelves. It was difficult having to turn people away.

Even for me, sourcing drugs became difficult. I would pay a certain amount for a medication, and when I came back to restock a couple of months later, the supplier would say the price had doubled. It just wasn’t making financial sense anymore, so I decided to liquidate.

How did you end up going abroad?

I moved to England first on a study visa for a master’s degree. After my studies, I relocated to Scotland because I got a job there that gave me a work visa.

How did friends and family react to your decision to leave Nigeria?

My friends were happy for me because I had told most of them, even before I started applying to schools in the United Kingdom (UK), that I wanted to leave. So they were really happy for me when I got the opportunity to go. It was different from my parents. They were not really on board at first. But they eventually became supportive. I think now they鈥檙e very glad I left because of how much worse things have gotten in Nigeria. If I were still there, I don’t think I could even afford to leave now.

How did you handle the tuition and living costs?

I had paid about 70% of my fees before moving, and when I moved, it was still relatively easy to get a job. I arrived in January and got a job by mid-February. The cost of living in the UK was also lower then. I worked as a pharmacy assistant for a while and then started working in physiotherapy before joining the National Health Service (NHS).

How many years did you spend in England, and what was it like?

I spent about two and a half years in England. It wasn鈥檛 too bad, but I am quite introverted, so I don鈥檛 think I experienced everything it had to offer. Between the academic pressure and trying to stay afloat financially, I didn’t have the time to do as much as others might.

What was your social life like in England?

Social life was good. I made friends in and out of school. I was also fortunate because many of my friends from pharmacy school had already left Nigeria. Barely two weeks after I arrived, I walked into a store to do some shopping and ran into a friend from school. I knew he鈥檇 left Nigeria earlier, but I didn’t know he was in the same city. So having people like that around me really helped me adjust faster.

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Was there any hesitation when you decided to move from England to Scotland?

None at all. I was working in the National Health Service (NHS), but immigration rules in England were starting to change. I  started applying for jobs in Scotland because I found from my research that the cost of living is cheaper and the pay is marginally better. When I got a job offer with a work visa, it was a no-brainer. I packed my bags and ran. That was in July 2025.

How does life in England differ from life in Scotland?

Life in England is fast, and life in Scotland is very, very slow in comparison. Moving here was a breath of fresh air because I take things easier now. You don’t have to run around as you do in London.

Also, the immigration sentiment is different. You experience more anti-immigration sentiment and racist issues in England. Scotland, in contrast, is very welcoming. I was on a train wearing my Nigerian jersey once, and two Scottish men walked up to me to talk about Victor Osimhen. In England, you鈥檒l be in the same situation, and there鈥檒l be someone just staring at you like they’d stab you if they had a knife.

I鈥檝e seen people on social media say people shouldn鈥檛 come to the UK on a study visa. But they need to realise the UK isn鈥檛 only England. In Scotland, things are different. If you study the right thing, you鈥檒l settle easily in Scotland even if you come on a study visa. Scotland is not as competitive as England. There isn’t as much pressure, and the cost of living is cheap. If you’re looking for a UK destination, choose Scotland.

Without a strong support system, England might break you. But Scotland is slower, easier, and cheaper. I love it here.

Interesting. What is your current job?

I work as a physiotherapy assistant practitioner in critical care and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It鈥檚 mostly rehab work. Some days are tense, but I enjoy them. It鈥檚 given me a new perspective on patient care.

How did you switch from pharmacy to physiotherapy?

To practice as a pharmacist in the UK, you have to run a specific program. Only a few schools offer it, and there was a massive backlog. I was so intent on leaving Nigeria that I wasn’t patient enough to wait for an offer. I took an offer for a master’s programme that wasn鈥檛 in pharmacy, and that meant I couldn’t practice pharmacy immediately. I started in the NHS as a physiotherapy support worker, got some certifications, and eventually applied for my current role in Scotland.

Do you plan to return to pharmacy eventually?

Definitely. I renew my Nigerian pharmacy license every year, even though I don’t use it. I even plan to write the Canadian pharmacy exams this year. I intend to return to pharmacy practice eventually.

Have you been back to Nigeria since you left?

I haven’t. I might visit for a quick trip in the future, but I don’t see myself relocating permanently back to Nigeria for now. Maybe after Tinubu, if Nigeria’s fortunes begin to turn around.

What is your support system like in Scotland?

I have family and friends, and even my manager at work is very supportive. I work Monday to Friday, so weekends are mostly for resting and recovering before going back on Monday.

What do you do for fun in Glasgow?

As an introvert, my work colleagues usually drag me out for drinks or dinner. Sometimes I go to the movies or just stay home and play FIFA on my TV.

What were your biggest culture shocks?

Just how orderly everything is here compared to Nigeria. The cost of living was also a shock. I realised there are things here that we pay about five times the price for in Nigeria. And the minimum wage is actually enough for a person to comfortably survive on.

What has been your worst experience since moving?

Back in England, I once went out wearing just a hoodie and didn’t check the weather. It snowed all day, and I waited for my bus for four hours. By the time I got home, I almost had frostbite. It was only a few days after I arrived in the UK, and I didn’t know that a hoodie wasn’t enough protection from the snow, especially for someone coming from a hot country like Nigeria. You need to have a winter jacket.

What about your best experience?

Moving to Scotland has been a great experience for me. My time in England was crazy with constant planning and strategising. Since moving here, I can wake up and take life at my own pace. The past ten months have been really good for me.

What is your favourite thing about Scotland?

Most people are welcoming, and life feels slow-paced and relaxed. It鈥檚 perfect for someone like me.

And your least favourite?

The weather. It鈥檚 very cold.

Do you see Scotland as home for the long-term?

I鈥檒l say, for the short to medium term, Scotland is home. Whether I鈥檓 here long-term depends on how the immigration rules change.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in Scotland?

I鈥檇 say a nine out of ten. When the summer comes, and the weather gets better, it will be a ten.

Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me . For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).

Gbenga* (24) spent his usual monthly budget for fuel on just a week鈥檚 supply due to a combination of poor power supply and a sudden fuel hike. When he discovered his generator had a fault, he called the technician his family has used for almost ten years. He had no idea that a war happening thousands of miles away would cause a man he thought he knew so well to rob him.

This is Gbenga鈥檚 story as told to Franklyn

I finally understand why people don’t trust all these artisans. What this man did really pissed me off. You think you know someone and can trust them, only for them to betray you.

I know what I went through just to get fuel that morning. The stations near my house didn鈥檛 have any. I had to take a 鈧�500 bike ride just to find a station with fuel. Then, on getting there, the pump price almost made me go mad.

Context Break: A War in the Gulf is Affecting Fuel Price in Nigeria 

On February 28, 2026, , sparking a huge conflict in the Gulf region that鈥檚 led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow sea passage that鈥檚 also world’s most important oil chokepoint. Normally, . Its closure has affected global fuel prices, and Nigeria has also felt that impact. Within days, petrol went from around 鈧�875 per litre to over 鈧�1,200, leaving many frustrated and desperate.

To make matters worse, the national grid is in shambles. About . But suppliers are closing the taps because the Generation Companies (Gencos) . The Gencos, in turn, are owed .

This debt chain means there isn’t enough money to keep the gas flowing, forcing Gencos to ration power supply across the country. As unbelievable as it sounds, if these debts aren鈥檛 settled soon, the blackouts could become even worse.

I ended up getting fuel of over 鈧�50,000. That鈥檚 normally what I鈥檒l spend for a month. We鈥檝e barely had light these days, so we鈥檙e using the generator a lot more than before. I already knew the 鈧�50,000 fuel would probably only last a week. That frustration was on one side, then another thing came up.

I got home, and the generator wouldn鈥檛 start. It had gotten faulty due to constant usage.

We called our usual technician. This man has been fixing our generators for about ten years now. It was just my dad and me at home, and my dad wasn鈥檛 feeling well, so he was sleeping in his room. I was the one who had to keep an eye on the technician. But like I said, we鈥檝e known this man forever, so there was trust there.

I showed him where we kept the generator on the balcony. I also asked that he tell me when he was done, so I鈥檒l come fuel the gen and have him test it. We have the fuel kegs on the balcony, too, with the generator.

I work remotely. So once he鈥檇 settled in to start working, I went back inside to my workstation setup in the living room. I should have suspected something when this man didn鈥檛 call me when he was done. He just turned on the generator himself. I reminded him that I said he should call me to fuel the gen before turning it on. He casually told me he had fueled it himself.

I went to check and saw he had given the generator a full tank. While I was out there on the balcony, my eyes strayed to his slightly open bag, and I saw an engine oil bottle. It was the exact brand we use, but I didn鈥檛 really give it much thought then.

I paid him, saw him to the door, and came back to clean up the balcony. I knew we had two empty bottles of engine oil out there, but now I could only find one. That鈥檚 when it started to click. I checked the fuel keg, and it was a lot lighter than it should be, even after giving the gen a full tank.

It dawned on me that this man, whom I鈥檝e known for so long, had stolen our fuel, poured it into one of the empty engine oil bottles and left with it. Fuel that I struggled to buy. I was so vexed.

I know things are hard and fuel is like gold now, but has it gotten to stealing? And it鈥檚 not as if he wasn鈥檛 paid for his work. This man has been working with my family for almost a decade, so it鈥檚 not as if it鈥檚 someone new. I was so disappointed.

We want to hear about your personal experiences that reflect how politics or public systems affect daily life in Nigeria. Share your story with us 鈥攚e鈥檇 love to hear from you!

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Gerry (25) always wanted to get a master鈥檚 abroad. But about two years into Tinubu鈥檚 regime, he decided the time was now. In this story, he talks about life in Scotland鈥檚 Aberdeen, the exciting whims he鈥檚 indulged, and his plans for the future.

听听

Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?

Currently, I鈥檓 in Aberdeen, Scotland. I left Nigeria in January of 2025.

What inspired you to leave Nigeria?

Honestly, for lack of a better word, I just wanted fresh air. I always knew I would get a master鈥檚 degree at some point, and with Tinubu in power now, I felt it was time to initiate my escape from the country. I decided to go abroad for my master鈥檚, and to leverage it to move to whichever country my heart deems fit after I鈥檓 done.

Are you done with your master’s now?

Technically, I鈥檓 done. I鈥檓 in the process of turning in my dissertation. My graduation is just a few weeks away.

Congratulations. Scotland isn鈥檛 a popular destination for Nigerians I鈥檝e interviewed. Why did you choose it?

I鈥檓 surprised to hear that. Being here, you see the opposite鈥擲cotland is actually a prime destination for Nigerians. There are a lot of Nigerians here. In fact, sometimes, I  only interact with Nigerians for months on end.

I grew up in Port Harcourt, then spent my last two to three years in Nigeria in Lagos. And I preferred Port Harcourt, which is significantly quieter than Lagos. So I knew I needed a city that was just as quiet, hence why I chose Aberdeen.

Is Port Harcourt your favourite Nigerian city?

It鈥檚 actually Akure. I鈥檝e been around a lot of cities in Southern Nigeria, and Akure just stands out as a very fun place. I鈥檇 describe it as a perfect retirement city. Most of the businesses there cater for retirees and make people feel as relaxed as possible.

But the thing with people in their retirement era is that there are a lot of big birthdays and burial ceremonies. So if you’re looking for a type of fun that is very Nigerian but not Lagos-centric, Akure is a good place.

That鈥檚 very interesting. But how could you tell Aberdeen would be your type of city before you arrived?

I have a couple of relatives and very close family friends who have been here for over ten years.  That was where my insight came from.

It must have been great having that support when you arrived. But what were you up to in Nigeria before you left?

I worked in marketing. My master’s is also in marketing. I came to Lagos for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2022. After that, I got a job at a top marketing agency. I spent a little over a year there and then moved to a health tech startup in an executive position. At the same time, I had side contracts as well.

I lived what I鈥檇 describe as a very unbothered, soft life in Lagos. I wasn鈥檛 paying rent for the years I spent there, so all my income went into my personal needs. I was very independent.

Life in Lagos, as hectic as it was, was a very good career step. I knew I had to be there because that鈥檚 where all the big media and marketing work in Nigeria is done. So between 2022 and 2024, my life was basically all about work.

What was the experience like when you first arrived in Scotland?

When I landed in Aberdeen, it hit me, and I realised I may have made a big mistake. Aberdeen is really far up north on the map. It is a very cold city. So I鈥檇 arrived in London, and it wasn’t that cold, and there was no snow. Then I got on the plane to Aberdeen and slept throughout the 45-minute flight. I woke up to whiteness. Every building, the ground, everything was white with snow.

Climate-wise, they are like close cousins to Scandinavian countries. It’s similar to the weather you鈥檇 have in Norway. The mistake I鈥檇 made was that I was only wearing a sweatshirt. The first week was not a fun experience. I had to battle a horrible cold, and my body was struggling to adapt. But now I can walk out in the snow wearing just shorts.

How have you found social life in Aberdeen?

It鈥檚 not bad at all. You also don’t need a lot of money to relax here. Aberdeen is the sort of city where you can meet literally anybody if you鈥檙e the social type. There is a Nigerian club here called Club Lagos. There are enough Nigerian events that mirror the experience from back home, just in slightly higher quality. On a scale of one to ten, I鈥檒l give the social life in Aberdeen a solid nine.

What activities do you do to unwind in Aberdeen?

I like to go running and hiking on the hills here. There are lots of hills and mountains in Scotland. I鈥檝e been to the lake where the mythical Loch Ness monster supposedly is. It鈥檚 a hilly valley with a mountain range. It was weird realising there are mountains of over 2,000 feet in Scotland. I climbed one of the shorter ones, and it was a really fun hike.

Then there is the food. I think that is actually my go-to fun activity. In the last year, I think I鈥檝e tried practically 80 per cent of the restaurants here. I鈥檓 always dragging my friends to the new restaurants I want to try. They already know they don’t have a choice; once I decide we are going to a restaurant on the weekend, we are going.

What are you eating at these restaurants?

I do not like English or Scottish food. I don鈥檛 fancy it at all. I鈥檒l only eat it if my back is against the wall. They know, too, that their food is horrible, so they鈥檙e very welcoming of foreign food. There are so many Indian, Southeast Asian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Italian restaurants here. I鈥檝e even been to a Cambodian restaurant in Glasgow.

What is your favourite ethnic food?

Still Nigerian food. After that, I鈥檒l say Asian fast food.

91大神鈥檚 HERtitude is back this April 2026. Grab your tickets .

Have you been back to Nigeria since you left?

No, and I don’t intend to if it鈥檚 just for a visit. It鈥檚 just too much work. I鈥檒l have to take three flights to get to my father’s house in Port Harcourt. I don’t have it in me to take three flights right now. If it were possible to take just one flight, I would go easily.

I am open to moving back to Nigeria for work on a permanent basis. But not going back for fun because I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any fun to be had in Nigeria.

What are your plans for the future?

I鈥檓 currently in the process of looking at what the short term looks like, but I鈥檓 horrible at short-term planning. Long term, if the UK is still an option in five years, the goal would be to get Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or a Global Talent visa. I鈥檇 use that as a bedrock to explore other countries, particularly Canada, for work opportunities.

What is your support system like in Aberdeen?

I have a very close-knit personal network that is surprisingly very female-driven. Most of my male friends here have moved to different cities. I also have the relatives and family friends I mentioned who have been here for decades.

How have you met new people?

I have met a bunch. A decent chunk of Nigerians live in my building; that was the first entry point. My university is also very African-centred, so I met Nigerians and Ghanaians there. As much as I鈥檓 not a social person, people are drawn to my personality, so I actually meet a lot of people. Mostly it’s through church, school, and work.

What culture shocks have you experienced so far?

“Culture shock” isn’t the right word for me because I was already conversant with Western society before leaving Nigeria. Nothing felt like a shock. But one thing that still surprises me is how everyone keeps in line while waiting for the bus. It might not be an orderly single file, but everyone knows who got to the bus stop first, and they signal to each other in that order when boarding.

Something I had to get used to quickly was that Aberdeen is a very cashless city. Everyone uses a card or Apple Pay. I arrived holding about 拢1,000 in 拢50 notes. That鈥檚 the highest denomination here, and the notes are rare to find because if you need to pay for something that much, people expect you to just make a transfer.

Have you experienced racism in Scotland?

I can鈥檛 say I have directly experienced it, but in certain situations, you feel it. For example, while working at a retail store, I noticed that all the higher-level staff were white, specifically Scottish whites. Systemically, you notice it takes a while to gain “trust” in corporate settings when you鈥檙e an immigrant.

But I think the closest thing to racism you鈥檒l see from a Scot is when they鈥檙e around English people. Scottish people generally don’t like English people; you can see the tension most when English people come to Aberdeen for a holiday in the summer.

What is your favourite and least favourite thing about Aberdeen?

My favourite thing is winter. My least favourite thing is also winter. They are great to look at, but horrible to experience.

What has been your worst experience in Scotland so far?

I haven’t really had a horrible or bad experience. The worst I can think of is my phone going off while I鈥檓 outside. But even then, I can just walk into any electrical or repair store and get it charged. If you are good at quick thinking, you won’t have many problems here. People are generally willing to help or guide you.

What has been your best experience?

There are quite a lot. I spent a weekend with a friend, seeing every major landmark in Aberdeen. We both had cameras and played a “colour game” where we looked for things of a particular colour in every region of the city and took pictures. It was a great, personalised city tour.

A runner-up would be going to Glasgow on a whim, then to Edinburgh for a concert, staying at someone’s house for dinner, and not returning home until Monday morning. That was a whole weekend across two cities in three nights.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in Scotland?

A solid seven out of ten. It鈥檒l be complete when I get a proper job.

Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me . For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).

Na we dey hot

On March 10, 2026, NiMet put out titled 鈥淗EAT STRESS WARNING.鈥� It warned that temperatures are rising across the country and reaching levels that put people at risk.

If you think this just means more sweat and the solution is deodorant, think again. happens when your body can鈥檛 control its internal temperature because the external heat is too much.

Early symptoms include:

• Mild discomfort
• Fatigue
• Thirst

But it can get worse. It may lead to:

• Heat rash
• Cramps
• Fainting
• Kidney damage through

In the worst cases, heat stress can lead to and then death if medical care doesn鈥檛 come quickly.

NiMet didn鈥檛 just drop the warning and dip, though. It gave advice too. Top tip: 鈥淒rink lots of water.鈥�

Second tip: 鈥淔ind air-conditioned places to cool off.鈥�

And that鈥檚 where the problem lies. How are Nigerians supposed to access air conditioning during a power crisis?

The debtors

The federal government Electricity Generating Companies (Gencos) about 鈧�6.8 trillion. Without that money, Gencos can鈥檛 pay their gas suppliers . Without getting paid, the gas suppliers don鈥檛 want to supply gas anymore.

This embarrassing debt chain has (basically half). of the national grid鈥檚 power comes from these gas-powered thermal plants. The grid has an installed capacity of 13,625 megawatts, but in February 2026, (about 32%).

If these debts aren鈥檛 paid soon, Nigerians should expect even more blackouts.

Adding fuel to the heatwave

To make things worse, a war in the Middle East has turned fuel into a luxury item.

, the United States and Israel attacked Iran with missiles, killing its supreme leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, along with other top officials. The conflict has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea passage for global crude oil supply. About passed through it daily before the blockage.

Now oil prices have jumped, and Nigerians are feeling it at the pumps.

An unrefined government

As bad as things are, Finance Minister Wale Edun has said things would be . But it鈥檚 embarrassing that Nigeria鈥檚 only lifeline is a single privately owned refinery while government-owned ones sit idle.

If the refineries were working, Nigeria would have been shielded from the fuel price hike. But we鈥檙e not because we still import a lot of the fuel we use. In 2025, over 60% of the fuel consumed in Nigeria was

Within days of the conflict, petrol pump prices jumped from around 鈧�875 per litre to over 鈧�1200. That鈥檚 around a 40% increase. Globally, . The next most affected country .

Meanwhile, in India, petrol prices despite the conflict. This is because India , thanks to facilities like the, the .

In Nigeria, a war thousands of miles away is wrecking household budgets and forcing people to make hard choices about their energy needs. It鈥檚 ridiculous that at current prices, Nigeria鈥檚 鈧�70,000 minimum wage will get you less than 60 litres of petrol. That鈥檚 not enough to fill the tank of a 2009 Toyota Camry.  And you鈥檒l be lucky if it keeps your small Tiger generator running for up to four days.

Not his problem

In 2025, the federal government 鈧�10 billion for a solar project to take Aso Rock off the national grid. In 2026, , with the State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, the villa is expected to be off-grid by the end of March 2026.

So Tinubu is spending 鈧�17 billion to give himself twenty-four-hour solar power while leaving Nigerians stuck with a shaky grid collapsing under debt.

It鈥檚 shameful, the presidency is looking out for itself while millions of Nigerians cannot afford to power their homes.

What should people who cannot afford to go off-grid do?

Hot and skinny

Heat stress isn鈥檛 the only danger. This heat and energy crisis is about to make Nigerians hungrier, too.

In February 2026, the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) that Nigeria loses between 30 and 40 million metric tonnes of harvested food yearly due to a lack of cold storage. We recorded about 鈧�5 trillion in post-harvest losses in 2025.

But forget the money for a second. That鈥檚 millions of tonnes of food wasted while .

A in found that higher temperatures increase pathogen growth in food, making it spoil faster. Rising temperatures, plus no energy to refrigerate food, mean even more losses.

You鈥檙e hot, but are you bothered?

Nigerians are at risk of dropping dead in extreme heat, but can鈥檛 access air conditioning because the grid is failing and fuel prices are too high. If they survive that, they have to battle hunger because the food in their refrigerators has spoiled.

The failures of the Tinubu administration have left Nigerians vulnerable. They can鈥檛 afford to cool themselves or their food, and it will cost lives.

While we don鈥檛 blame Tinubu for the weather, we can鈥檛 help but note how ridiculous it is that Nigerians who currently deal with a high cost of living and don鈥檛 earn enough, have to squeeze themselves dry to buy fuel, which they did not have to, so that they can mitigate a heatwave which puts their lives at risk.

This is the Nigerian experience, courtesy of the Tinubu administration; living under an administration that not only denies you basic human needs but also robs you of the ability to afford alternatives that make up for its failures. 

91大神鈥檚 HERtitude is back this April 2026. Grab your tickets .

James* (25) tried to hide his true self for 20 years to survive in Nigeria and get his father to fund his trip abroad. He talks about suffering two horrific assaults that almost derailed his trip, why he left a visa sponsorship job in the UK for the chance of Permanent Residency in Canada, and how he鈥檚 trying to finally live his life freely despite his father鈥檚 denial about his sexuality.

Where do you live currently, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I live in Canada now, but I left Nigeria for the UK first. I left in 2022.

What inspired that move?

I went to the UK for my master鈥檚 degree. I left after my National Youth Service. The initial plan was to travel abroad after secondary school to do my bachelor鈥檚 in Canada, but my dad’s friend scammed him.

What happened?

My dad had never travelled out before, but he wanted his kids to. We grew up in what I鈥檒l call a very middle-class family. My dad imports goods from Canada, so he has friends there. Since he didn’t know how to go about the relocation process, he relied on a friend in Canada to make the arrangements.

At the time, I didn鈥檛 really understand what was going on because I didn’t even believe I could travel abroad based on our living situation. I remember sitting him down鈥攂ecause I鈥檝e always been very direct, even as a child鈥攁nd asking, “Do you have the money?” He revealed he had been saving money for each of us to travel since we were babies.

Anyway, the guy my dad was counting on 鈥渂orrowed鈥� some money from him and ghosted. So that plan fell through. Fortunately, I had chosen to write JAMB that year even though my dad was sure I鈥檇 travel out. So after the travel plans fell through, I started university in Nigeria. I finished schooling, did my NYSC, then travelled abroad for my master鈥檚.

It seems Canada was always the dream destination. So, how did you end up in the UK first?

That part is tied to my sexuality. Growing up in Nigeria was very difficult. I was bullied a lot in school for 鈥渁cting like a girl.鈥� I already knew from a very young age that the only way I could really survive was to run away. I played the “good boy” card and followed the rules, so I was never in my dad鈥檚 bad books. I just told myself, “You need to make 鈥榝uck you鈥� money and run away from this place.”

When he brought up Canada after secondary school, it felt like a dream come true. I now knew that he could actually afford to send me abroad. When that fell through, I went into survival mode for all of university. I was just thinking that if I kept being his 鈥済ood boy,鈥� he would send me abroad, and I would finally be free. By the time I was rounding up university, I was reaching my breaking point.

I had played the good boy for so long, I was exhausted. I had low self-esteem and a lot of self-hate. I basically went into self-destruct mode. I vowed to myself that I鈥檇 get to know myself better and take care of myself after university. A key part of that was planning to relocate with or without my dad鈥檚 help. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I learned some new skills, and I got a job. But it didn鈥檛 pay enough for me to relocate yet.

During that period, I was finding myself and exploring, and people started noticing. My dad, too, noticed, got very worried and cautious, started looking at me in a certain type of way, and it caused issues between us.

I was already applying to Canadian schools, as we had planned, only for him to tell me out of the blues the plan had changed. He decided I should go to the UK instead because he has a sister who lives there, and he wanted me to stay with her.

His sister is the first child, and she is way older than her siblings.  They all fear her, including my dad, so it made sense to him that she keep an eye on me. I tried arguing, but he told me it was the UK or nothing. Canada would have been so much easier for me to start living my life freely, but I had no choice, so I had to change my plans and go to the UK.

So you applied to schools in the UK and got admission?

Yes. Funny enough, the school I chose gave me admission within 24 hours of my application. That made my dad feel even more validated, like it was God saying I should go to the UK. By that point, I didn’t really care; I just wanted to leave Nigeria. The process was seamless, but everything almost blew up before I could leave.

What happened?

As I said, during that period, I was already exploring and becoming myself. I was making some money from my job and starting to meet new people. Then I got “kitoed.”

I started chatting with a guy I met online. He said he stayed near me and we had mutuals on social media. One evening, he kept pestering me to meet him. It was around 9 p.m.; my gut told me not to go, but I had been at home for a long time and just wanted to chill.

I drove to where he directed me. It was deep inside an area with a lot of bushes. I got to an estate, and the gate man let me in. As I entered the house, they locked the door, and a bunch of guys gathered around me. It was a horrific situation. They stripped me naked, beat me, and recorded the whole thing. 

They took my phone, called my siblings and other people on my contact list to demand money. I think they collected about 鈧�300,000. My car had a tracker in it, so my brother called my dad, and my dad tracked my car to the estate. It lasted for about two hours before they let me go.

I got home and had to explain to everyone. I was trying to explain that I didn’t do anything wrong; I just thought I was meeting a friend. It was horrible because I was almost at the finish line with my visa application. My dad was furious and said I wasn’t going anywhere and should move out of his house. I was scared. I thought everything was over. Luckily, the following week, he calmed down and gave me the money for the visa application.

Sorry you had to experience that.

Thank you.

What was it like when you finally got to the UK?

I think I saw the UK through a different lens because of the things that happened before I travelled. I was in a very dark place when I arrived. In that one weekend, I had two of the worst experiences of my life.

The morning after the kito incident, my friends checked up on me. They were all worried by the calls they had received from my attackers. So a friend came by our house with another guy I know, but wasn鈥檛 close to. They said they鈥檇 come check on me later that evening.

When they came, I made food for them, even served them wine. It started at the dining table with the guy touching my leg with his foot. I didn’t think much of it at first. My friend asked if they could spend the night since it was late. I agreed, so we all stayed in my room. I couldn’t sleep because of the trauma, so I put on a TV show. The guy came onto the bed to watch with me and kept playing with my feet. Before I knew it, he was dry humping me. As he touched my injuries from the night before, flashbacks of the attack hit me. I froze, and he had his way with me.

Back-to-back horrific events in one weekend. I couldn’t make sense of it. My spirit was broken. For months, I felt like my body was no longer my own. I couldn’t even tell my friends about the second event because it felt like too much. I held it in until I got to the UK.

That鈥檚 terrible.

I didn鈥檛 arrive in the UK with any of the usual excitement. The only thing on my mind was how not to go back to Nigeria. My aunt is not the nicest person, so I didn鈥檛 expect us to get along great, but I think my attitude at the time added to our issues. When I first arrived, she took me sightseeing, and I think she expected me to act a lot more excited about being in a new country, but I couldn鈥檛 find the energy.

She was verbally abusive, too, shouting and nagging. When I finally got a job, I immediately started stashing money to leave. I called my dad and told him I needed to leave because the energy in her house was so bad. He gave his approval, and I moved out. That was the first time in months that I was happy because I was finally on my own and free.

91大神鈥檚 HERtitude is back this April 2026. Grab your tickets .

What job did you get?

My first job was a warehouse job in a frozen food factory. It was terrible: 12-hour shifts in the cold. But I was just happy to be out of my aunt’s house for those hours. Even when I came back, I would just pack my stuff and go to school to spend the whole day there to avoid her.

I did the warehouse job for a month and then got a care job. It was a better environment and gave me consistent shifts. I lost so much weight from the stress. I would leave for the day with just a pack of biscuits and juice that cost less than 拢1, so I could save money.

So you finished your master鈥檚 in the UK?

Yes. Once I left that house, everything started going well. I got a better job as an admin in a school that paid better. I earned 拢900 to 拢1,000 for 20 hours of work. My rent was 拢500, and bills were under 拢50, so I was saving at least 拢450. It still wasn’t enough because I knew the UK system and how immigrants are at the bottom of the pyramid. I couldn’t see myself doing care work for five years. That鈥檚 how Canada came back into the picture.

I found out about Canada鈥檚 Express Entry and Permanent Residency (PR) process and immediately started working towards that. My dad had already spent what he had and sold a property for me to go to the UK. So I reached out to my brother, and he put his rent for the following year into my account because I needed to show about 鈧�5 million as proof of funds.

I used my savings to process the documentation and the World Education Services (WES) evaluation. While everyone else was applying for jobs in the UK, I was focused on Canada.

Around the time I submitted my master鈥檚 project, I got a job offer in the UK with visa sponsorship, but I declined because I knew my points for Canada would skyrocket once my master鈥檚 degree was official. I also applied for a UK post-study visa, just in case, but I knew I wouldn’t complete it.

When did you leave for Canada?

I got my PR in 2024, months into my post-study visa. It was an adventure and a waiting game. When I got it, I cried because everything I wanted came true. I packed my load and went back to Nigeria. That was my first time back in two years. I went back to process my sister’s study visa so we could both come to Canada. I spent December in Nigeria, my sister got her visa, and in early 2025, we moved to Canada.

What was that like?

It was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I was scared because I was going to an environment where I didn’t know anybody, and I knew how lonely the first relocation was. I didn’t have a job yet, and I calculated that my savings would only last eight months. And I had my sister to take care of.

I had not applied for a job in over a year and had to start from scratch. I kept hearing stories about there being no jobs in Canada and how the companies here are very big on “Canadian experience.” Luckily, I got my job five months in.

Apart from the economic opportunities, has Canada met your expectations?

I never really had any expectations. I just wanted stability and not have to worry about going back to Nigeria. I feel I have achieved everything I wanted, and now I have to start “living,” but I don’t know what to expect. I’m like a newborn baby learning how to crawl.

What about your support system? How is life socially for you in Canada?

I wouldn’t say I have a social life yet, even though I have been here for over a year. I am still socially anxious. I have to make a conscious decision to go outside. In the UK, I never went to see my friends; they always came to me. I was living in the UK as if it were temporary. I didn’t buy appliances or furniture because I knew I wasn’t staying. Now I am working on that mentality because I am here to stay.

I started taking tennis classes to meet people, and I鈥檝e met some at work, but the walls I built up all those years for survival are still there. I can be friendly, but it takes a lot to be my friend. I am trying to make conscious decisions to go out and interact with people, to truly start living my life.

What is your plan for the near future?

I have been in my career for about seven years now, starting as an intern and working up to a senior role. But I don’t really see myself continuing in corporate. I am looking toward starting a company in a different career entirely. I have a five-year plan to move in a different direction before I turn 30. I was a very active child who did dance and drama, but I pushed that away because of the environment in Nigeria. So maybe something along those lines that allows me to explore my creative side.

I am also saving to buy my own home. I stay with my sister now, but hopefully, we will both have our own homes soon. I do not see myself getting married anytime soon.

Are you in a romantic relationship?

I have never been in a romantic relationship. I have just been in survival mode until last year. I鈥檓 starting to think I might be asexual, but that might be tied to trauma. I鈥檝e just not been able to be vulnerable with another person.

I am open to the idea of a relationship, but I never pictured myself in a marriage. I recently started looking for a therapist to navigate my pent-up anger and get in touch with my creative side that was shoved away due to bullying and homophobia. There is a lot of unpacking I need to do.

How does your father feel about your sexuality?

During the whole kito incident, he said he had suspected my sexuality for years before that, but believed it was a phase I would outgrow.

I鈥檝e always been feminine, and my dad never once asked why I was like that. It鈥檚 only outside, in school, that people would bully me and even 鈥渞eport me鈥� to him. So when he said he always knew but thought it was a phase, it clicked for me that he was just in denial.

Where would you say he is with it now?

He is still in denial, and I feel sad for him. I have achieved everything I wanted to, and now it is time to cut that rope. When he鈥檚 praying for me, he still asks God to give me a good wife and children. My mom died when I was very young. My dad became very sick for about a year from the grief, but fortunately, he survived. He didn鈥檛 remarry, and his life has been his work and his children since then. He wants us to live the life he never had. I know he is proud of me, but the next thing on his mind is marriage, and I know I cannot give him that.

When I went back in 2024, before the move to Canada, I had changed a lot. I had cornrows, painted nails, and a neck tattoo.  My dad was cool with the tattoos, but the nails ticked him off. We had a fight about it, and I told him I wasn’t coming back.

But I have so many friends in Nigeria, and I miss them so much. If I do visit, it will always be very brief, maybe two or three weeks at a time and get out of there quickly.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in Canada?

I鈥檒l say eight point five. I am trying to build up my savings again after spending everything to take care of myself and my sister last year. If I can get my emergency funds back to where I want them by the middle of the year, it would be a solid ten.

Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me . For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).

Iliyasu (52) spent four years in Sri Lanka getting his doctorate before returning to Nigeria in 2018. In this story, he talks about the initial culture shocks, the best and worst parts of life on the island and why he was reluctant to leave his new home when it was time to return to Nigeria.

Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I moved to Sri Lanka in 2014, but I currently live in Taraba, Nigeria.

You鈥檙e back in Nigeria?

Yes. I travelled to study for a doctorate. After my studies, I returned to Nigeria in 2018.

Was that the first time you had left the country?

Yes, that was my first time leaving Nigeria.

What inspired you to make that move?

I wanted to have my doctoral studies outside Nigeria, so I explored foreign study opportunities. I even got accepted and was on the waiting list to study at the in South Africa. But then, I also had an option to leave for Sri Lanka because my dean, with whom I had worked earlier at the university where I taught, was from Sri Lanka. That was how I got that move.

What were you up to before you left Nigeria?

I was a lecturer. Before that, I had been in the private sector working for a supply chain company that dealt in petroleum products between 2003 and 2007. But I had this feeling that I wanted to teach. I had more money in the private sector and what you could call a more comfortable life. But it was this passion for teaching that drove me to leave that life to become a lecturer.

South Africa and Sri Lanka are sort of odd choices for Nigerians. It鈥檚 usually the UK and the US. Why were these the places you considered?

You know, they say a bird in hand is worth more than ten in the bush. In making these decisions, there鈥檚 a lot one has to consider. Also, having contacts in these countries played a big part in my decision. In South Africa, I had someone there who was already doing some groundwork to help me settle on arrival. It was similar for Sri Lanka. I was introduced to the opportunity through the dean I told you about. Having that contact was important to me.

Did you plan to move permanently, or did you always have the aim of returning to Nigeria?

No, I wasn鈥檛. It probably has something to do with my background being from the north. There鈥檚 less of a desire for immigration amongst northerners than there is in the southern parts of the country. At least that鈥檚 been my experience. All my colleagues who went abroad, even to the United Kingdom and the United States, came back. Those who stayed abroad permanently weren鈥檛 northerners.

So I wasn鈥檛 excited about moving permanently. I just wanted to experience life outside the country and then come back. It might also be because at that time in 2014, Nigeria was not as bad as it is now.

So you feel differently now?

I do to a large extent. When I started this job, I basically started from the bottom as a graduate assistant and worked my way up. But even at the start, I didn’t struggle financially. But now, even as a professor, I struggle financially. I think that shows how things have changed over time. The Nigerian dream seems to be a nightmare now due to the decline in economic power. I was much better off then as a junior staff member than I am now.

Wow. Let鈥檚 talk about Sri Lanka. What was it like?

I was like a newborn child getting to Sri Lanka. I felt that based on my background, I would settle easily because I was used to moving. Having moved from Lagos where I was born and spent my early years to the North where I went to secondary school, university, and eventually married, I was used to making friends quickly and making myself feel at home in new environments.

I had also read about Sri Lanka before getting there, and my dean and his wife told me a lot of stories. But hearing stories is not the same as being in the story yourself.

I immediately got my first culture shock at the airport. I forgot I read that they don’t drive on the same side as in Nigeria. So I put my luggage in the airport taxi, rushed to open the front door, and found a steering wheel staring at me.

There was a bit of a fear factor for me as a newcomer. But there were fellow Nigerian students on the ground, and the really tried to make me comfortable, so that really helped me overcome any fear and settle in.

I think I got used to the country after one year. By the time I was leaving in 2018, I wanted to stay longer. I had found community in church and among my Sri Lankan colleagues. My doctoral class had about fifty of us or more, with some foreigners and then local Sri Lankans. These were relationships I had built over time that made me feel very much at home in Sri Lanka.

You mentioned being married. Did your wife go with you?

I went alone. My wife was on a programme at the time. It was at a point where she couldn’t leave. Apart from that, we were constrained financially to cover ourselves and the kids, because we had four of them. So it was cost-effective for me to go alone and always connect through calls. I also visited Nigeria every year until I returned, except for 2017.

Was that difficult for both of you?

It must have been hard for her, running around alone with the kids. But we went through it, and it was something we found ways to manage. It was difficult, but I think it was worth it.

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What was life like for you in Sri Lanka?

Well, there was a bit of a language barrier. Sri Lankans speak Sinhala, and it’s the only country where that language is spoken. The second language they have is Tamil. But it鈥檚 a Commonwealth country, so quite a number of them speak English.

What鈥檚 actually shocking is that it鈥檚 the older people in the country who are more likely to be English speakers. A lot of the younger ones typically only speak Sinhala. I learned that it was due to to make Sinhala the only language in the country.

For food, they eat a lot of rice. Lucky me, rice is my best meal. The only food-related shock for me was their use of sugar. They use too much in their teas, and they add sugar to their stew and spices.

The weather is a lot like Lagos,  very humid with a lot of rain. The taxi services were very efficient, and there were air conditioners even in the buses. One discouraging thing is installing air conditioning in a room, which I tried twice. It was very, very expensive. The money to do that alone could pay your rent here in Nigeria.

The country is very organised. Electricity and water were not issues compared to Nigeria. We drank directly from the tap over there. Then the same thing with their currency; they kept it controlled. Nigeria is richer than Sri Lanka on paper, but they鈥檝e kept their currency controlled so it doesn鈥檛 fluctuate as much as ours. The situation there is just far better than it is in Nigeria.

Let’s talk about affordability. How did you afford your trip and stay?

My trip was sponsored by the . On the visa, it clearly states you cannot work. If you do, you鈥檒l be sent back home. So covering expenses was difficult; I had to depend on Nigeria almost totally and the goodwill of people to make up for it.

My supervisor also took an interest in me and got to know that we were not allowed to work. So he let me edit his work and gave me a little stipend for it to help me survive.

What were your best experiences in Sri Lanka?

There were a few.

The first one was about my studies. It was a bit difficult getting my money from Nigeria at one point because the Nigerian government stopped our cards from working. But the University of Colombo was very understanding. Some of my colleagues chickened out and went back to Nigeria, but I didn’t.

I once went to see the Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, to check if I鈥檇 be allowed to defend my doctoral thesis even though I had not finished paying my fees due to the Nigerian situation. She鈥檚 a woman I like to describe as an “iron lady,” but I managed to find a way around this.  When I got to her office, I found out it was her birthday, and they鈥檙e a pretty big deal in Sri Lanka. I hyped her up, telling her how nice it was to hear that it was her birthday. She was so excited that I was celebrating with her. She told me, “Don’t worry, you’ll be the next person to do your defence.” And truly, they allowed me to defend before completing my fees.

The second was at a think tank called the Institute for Ethnic Studies. My supervisor told me to attend seminars there. On one of those occasions, I met an American who eventually became my landlady. She had been in Nigeria because her dad was an ambassador. As an adult, she had worked in Bayelsa state and was now working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programme in Sri Lanka. We bonded over her love for food and my love for cooking. She eventually rented a space to me in their diplomatic compound.

Another one: on the day I was signing off, my supervisor gave me a gift. In Nigerian universities, lecturers don’t give you gifts; it is the other way around. But my supervisor brought out a statue of an elephant, one of . She told me, “You have lived in Sri Lanka, and you have done well. I pressed you a lot, and I thought you would run back to Nigeria.” She was impressed with my work ethic, and that was her way of appreciating me.

It really had an impact on me and how I go about interacting with my own students now. It showed me things can be different from how we normally do it in Nigeria.

There was also the church. I had the privilege to be trained by in Colombo. An elderly man I met in church persuaded me to join their training, the Calvary Seminary. It was an uphill task for me as a doctoral student, but it was a turning point.

I met quite a number of people I ordinarily would not have met. The church was sending me to do relief duty for their pastors. It afforded me the opportunity to travel around Colombo and outside, and most times it wasn’t at my own expense. I had one of the first times in my life preaching using an interpreter. Being a Black African preaching in their church was really great for me. That was one of the greatest things that happened to me.

What were your favourite things about Sri Lanka?

My favourite thing was how the system there just works. My doctorate studies finished at the right time, unlike in Nigeria, where strikes could have made it as long as 10 to 14 years. Everything in Sri Lanka is just far more organised. The people and system are fair; if you deserved something, they gave it to you.

For leisure activities, I loved the beaches. You could even go at night without feeling unsafe, unlike in Nigeria, where you might get robbed. Security there is very good. They respect their police. The police hardly carried weapons; they only had whistles, and everyone obeyed the whistles.

Sounds like a great place, but what didn鈥檛 you like?

The buses are often overcrowded. If you get on at the wrong time, you are in for it. The high humidity could make it a really bad experience. I learned to always hustle for door seats so I could easily get out when I needed to. Also, some of the few tuk-tuk (keke) drivers try to cheat foreigners by messing with the rates on their meters.

There鈥檚 also some level of racism there, whether on the bus or when meeting with people. When I arrived, I found that many of the fellow Nigerians just kept to themselves in their own little community.

But on the whole,  I had a positive experience, and I would go back if I got the chance.

So the racism did not impact your view of the country?

It鈥檚 all about your mindset. I mean, is it any different from the religious biases and tribalism we have in Nigeria? There鈥檚 a saying I like that says if you respond to every dog that barks at you, you will never get to your destination. This world is not perfect. When there is racism, you must have a way to deal with it鈥攂rush it off, move on, and focus on your goals.

You mentioned wanting to go back. Are you exploring immigration opportunities to Sri Lanka or elsewhere?

Yes, I am. Apart from Sri Lanka, I鈥檓 also looking elsewhere. I鈥檓 exploring the talent option for the UK. The US was on my list as well until their recent political shifts. But now I鈥檓 focusing on Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

I think Sri Lanka is a great place to live. As a professor, I usually have to be a surety for people going abroad for doctoral studies, and I always encourage them to go to Sri Lanka and stay back if they get the opportunity. Many Americans and Europeans even go to Sri Lanka when they retire because it is a good place to live and get value for their money. I encourage people to explore those opportunities.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy were you in Sri Lanka?

I would say eight point five. It was a great experience.

Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me . For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).

To make matters worse, economic experts say poverty levels will only get worse. We don鈥檛 expect much from government bodies. The bar is already on the floor. But this Ministry is spectacularly failing in its mandate, and it leaves us wondering: who鈥檚 to blame?

Born again鈥� and again鈥� and again鈥�

The Ministry didn鈥檛 always go by its current name. When President Muhammadu Buhari , it was called the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Then in 2023, President Bola Tinubu renamed it the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. By 2024, he changed it again to what we now know as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

Numbers go up鈥� and only up

The name changes haven鈥檛 helped. Whether it鈥檚 supposed to alleviate or reduce poverty, the Ministry is doing neither.

In 2019, when Buhari created it, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) . That was 40.1% of the population.

By 2023, when Tinubu first renamed it, the figure had .

In October 2025, the World Bank .

And things are not looking brighter. In January 2026, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 141 million Nigerians鈥攁bout 62% of the population鈥攚ould be poor this year. That鈥檚 another 2 million people about to drop below the poverty line.

Best in mathematics

Whenever faced with numbers that show they鈥檙e failing, Tinubu鈥檚 administration doesn鈥檛 fix up. Instead, they say the maths must be wrong.

From 鈥攃ounting anyone who works at least one hour a week as employed鈥攖o , this government would rather tweak numbers than fix Nigeria.

So when the World Bank dropped the 139 million figure, Tinubu鈥檚 Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, dismissed it as 鈥�.鈥�

The administration that the World Bank鈥檚 benchmark of anyone living on less than $2.15 a day doesn鈥檛 match Nigeria鈥檚 reality. Basically, the government wants global experts to lower their expectations so our numbers look better.

Musical chairs at the poverty ministry

When Buhari created the ministry in 2019, he appointed Sadiya Umar Farouq as minister. She held the role until the end of his administration in 2023. Since Tinubu became president, though, it鈥檚 been a revolving door.

• August 2023: Betta Edu became minister.
• January 2024: Less than five months later, Edu was suspended over a 鈧�585 million corruption case.
• January鈥揙ctober 2024: The office stayed empty for more than eight months.
• October 2024: Nentawe Yilwatda took over as minister.
• November 2024: Yusuf Tanko Sununu was moved from the Ministry of Education to become Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, assisting Yilwatda.
• July 2025: Nine months later, Yilwatda left to become APC national chairman.
• July鈥揘ovember 2025: Sununu worked solo for about four months.
• November 2025: Bernard Mohammed Doro was sworn in as minister.

It鈥檚 been a rocky ride at the Ministry under Tinubu鈥檚 administration, with multiple name changes and even more changes in personnel. With ministers playing musical chairs, it鈥檚 no surprise the Ministry can鈥檛 pull off any coherent poverty alleviation scheme.

Sadiya 

Sadiya Umar Farouq may have held her position for all of Buhari鈥檚 second term, but that stability didn鈥檛 count for anything. As we said earlier, the poverty numbers jumped from 40.1% to 56.2% between 2019 and 2023. Then there鈥檚 the missing billions.

In September 2020, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it . That money was supposed to feed schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Farouq left office in 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened into her.

Then, in 2024, a High Court ordered her to account for. The court demanded she publish the names of every single one of the supposed beneficiaries who allegedly got 鈧�5,000 each.

Betta

First through the door after Tinubu took office was Betta Edu. In , she was sworn in as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at just 37 years old.

But her time was short-lived. Barely four months later, in January 2024, she came under fire after showing she had asked the Accountant General to transfer 鈧�585 million meant for grants for vulnerable groups into a private account. Tinubu on January 8, and by October 2024, .

Despite the EFCC saying they during their probe of the ministry under her watch, Edu was never charged.

Nentawe

Nentawe Yilwatda lasted a little longer than Edu before being elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , forcing him to quit his ministerial role.

Bernard & Tanko

While Yilwatda was minister, Tinubu decided he needed backup. In a wider in November 2024, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, then Minister of State for Education, was .

As the numbers show, having two ministers didn鈥檛 help either.

After Yilwatda left to chair the APC, Sununu flew solo for a few months before Bernard Mohammed Doro . The two have since worked together as a less-than-dynamic duo.

Thou shalt not live by rice alone

Bernard Doro has already hit the ground running in the only way Nigerian politicians know: he鈥檚 been out sharing rice.

Since early February 2026, Doro has been under the 鈥淧residential Emergency Food and Nutrition Intervention Programme.鈥�

Officially, office furniture are more important than you

A quick glance at the shows where Doro and Sununu鈥檚 priorities lie鈥攁nd it鈥檚 not in reducing poverty.

In the Ministry鈥檚 2026 budget, it plans to spend 鈧�112 million on office furniture and fittings. Then another 鈧�113 million on office machines and equipment. Meanwhile, only 鈧�71 million has been set aside for essential foods in case of emergency outbreaks that may lead to malnutrition in the country. That鈥檚 almost four times less than the 鈧�225 million they鈥檙e spending to make their offices look nice.

To fully understand the ridiculousness of the situation, you鈥檇 have to take a look at the Global Hunger Index, which . Twenty per cent of the population is undernourished, and almost 34% of children under five suffer stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Whatever emergency the ministry is waiting for, we鈥檙e already living it.

Millions of Nigerians are falling into poverty every year, and . But we can only hope Bernard Doro and Tanko Sununu鈥攐r whoever is next through the revolving door鈥攅njoy the luxury office furniture.

The Ministry of Zero Impact

One of the many frustrations of covering governance in Nigeria is navigating government websites. They鈥檙e often half-built messes, and is no different.

Still, there鈥檚 something poetic about the malfunctioning 鈥淔acts and Statistics鈥� tracker on the Ministry鈥檚 site. The irony is almost too perfect.

A Ministry of zero impact, with a website that reflects exactly that.

What can you do about this?

• Use whatever platform you have, including social media, to demand accountability from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
• Call your representatives at the National Assembly (NASS). Lawmakers have to sign off on these budgets, and you can make sure money goes where you know it鈥檚 best needed through them. To find the contact information of the lawmaker representing your constituency at NASS, click .
• Ministers are appointees, but they鈥檙e appointed by the executive you voted for. So make better choices during elections. Not voting at all is also a choice 鈥� and it鈥檚 the wrong one.

We want to hear about your personal experiences that reflect how politics or public systems affect daily life in Nigeria. Share your story with us 鈥攚e鈥檇 love to hear from you!

91大神鈥檚 HERtitude is back this April 2026. Grab your tickets .

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Timilehin* (30) left Nigeria for the US with just a desire for better opportunities and no long-term plan. In this story, he shares how trading cryptocurrencies gave him the funds for his trip and how he ended up in the US Navy.

Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?

Currently, I live in Atlanta in the United States. I left Nigeria in 2021.

What inspired you to leave?

A friend I went to school with inspired me, and two other things served as a trigger, or push, if you would. While we were in school, my friend always said we should find a way to leave Nigeria so we could do our master’s abroad. It stuck with me.

After we graduated, we couldn鈥檛 make that wish a reality because we couldn鈥檛 afford it and weren鈥檛 doing much. I personally couldn鈥檛 get help from the family front because we didn鈥檛 have the money: My dad was a teacher, so going to school on his salary had been a struggle. I did all sorts of jobs to make some cash, including satellite TV installations, which I took on during my National Youth Service (NYSC) year.

All the while, the idea of going abroad for my master鈥檚 had stuck with me. But the trigger for leaving was the astonishing lack of opportunities. Even as a graduate, most of us couldn鈥檛 secure jobs with our certificates. The EndSARS protests capped it all off. Seeing the government kill so many young people and deny it, made us want to get out. So when we got the opportunity to do our master’s in the US, we took it. I wasn’t married and had no children or strong attachments other than my immediate family, so it was not a difficult decision.

How did you afford the move?

Around 2018 to 2019, crypto started blowing up. Some friends and I got into cryptocurrency, buying and selling Bitcoin and doing Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs). We started getting a little money, and it was that money we used to process our exams like the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), pay application fees, and fund the move abroad.

The money was really useful because, for an average Nigerian, it can be difficult to afford application fees, which can be in the hundreds of dollars. For someone struggling to eat, it鈥檚 a lot to spend on what is basically trial and error, because the schools you apply to may not admit you.

What was it like when you arrived in the US?

It wasn鈥檛 the smoothest experience. I had to spend my first days in a hotel, and it was so expensive; I was worried I was going to end up spending all the money I鈥檇 come with. Also, there were a lot of culture shocks.

What were some of these shocks?

First was the food, which was very different from what I was used to in Nigeria. They also have too many options, making it difficult to figure out their food.

Let’s say you try to get a burger. You would expect it to be straightforward. But you鈥檒l say you want a burger and they鈥檒l ask you something like if you want cheese. Okay, you tell them to add the cheese, then they鈥檒l ask you what type. I didn鈥檛 even know there were different types of cheese back then. It just goes on like that, answering so many questions before you get your food.

Another thing is just how large the US is. It feels like most places are not close by. Everything is at least thirty minutes from where you are. Having a car is not a luxury; it鈥檚 just a necessity if you want to get anywhere. I got a bicycle that I used to ride around. But I guess I got too comfortable, and I wouldn鈥檛 lock it when I left it outside. One time, I travelled, and when I came back, it had been stolen. I found it surprising because it wasn鈥檛 even an expensive one. It cost about $70, so I didn’t expect it to be stolen.

Another shock was the school culture. All the professors are completely fine with you calling them by just their first names.

Then there鈥檚 the attitude towards hosting. In Nigeria, when a birthday celebrant invites people to a restaurant, they鈥檒l handle the bill, but here, everyone is expected to pay for themselves.

What was the settling-in process like socially?

I don’t go out a lot. I didn鈥檛 have much of a social life even in Nigeria, so I have little to compare it with. But in my daily interactions with Americans, I found that most of them think I am Black American when they first meet me, until I tell them I鈥檓 Nigerian. They find it difficult to pronounce my name, so I just tell them my name is Tim or Timmy. That鈥檚 easier for them.

How did you find education in the US compared to Nigeria?

The volume of assignments is a lot. You might do only three courses, but the amount of work, presentations, and assignments is massive. It is harder than in Nigeria, but eventually, I figured it out.

What is your support system like in the US?

I don’t really miss Nigeria in terms of friendships or my support system because most of my friends are here.  My brother is here too. He joined me a year after I arrived in 2022. I also came along with many of my friends, and many of my classmates from the university in Nigeria are here now. I have almost all my support system here鈥攑eople I鈥檝e known for about twelve years now. The only person I have left in Nigeria who would make me come around to visit is my mum.

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Have you visited Nigeria since you left?

No, I haven’t been back. I intend to go, but I haven’t found the time with the way my work is structured. Some of my friends intend to go for two months, but I feel I鈥檇 probably stay only for a week or two if I go, and then it feels like a waste of money for such a short trip.

Do you see the US as a long-term plan, or do you intend to return to Nigeria?

I am very conflicted about that. I want to go back, but then I see what is happening in Nigeria, and I am discouraged. You see the reports online of things like kidnappings or trucks falling on people. These people didn’t even do anything wrong. It鈥檚 just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There’s nothing they could have done differently that would have taken them out of that scenario.

So it makes me think: 鈥淒o I want to just leave my life to chance in a place where the chances are not good?鈥� It feels like in Nigeria, everything is just set up to go the wrong way. I鈥檓 hesitant to leave the US, which has a system that works, for one that doesn’t work. But I’m not ruling out the possibility of a return.

Do you like the city you live in?

Yes. Atlanta is actually my favourite city. There is a large Black community here. I鈥檝e briefly stayed in Houston, which feels exactly like you are in Nigeria because of the weather and the amount of Nigerian food, but Atlanta is a perfect blend of Nigeria and America. My least favourite was Chicago because it is extremely cold. That鈥檚 where I did my training for the Navy, and learning to swim in the Chicago cold was one of my worst experiences here.

You鈥檙e in the US Navy?

Yes. I joined the Navy last year. The process was fun at times, but also a little depressing. I didn’t know how to swim very well when I joined. I struggled to learn how to swim in the cold, which is why I said I don’t like Chicago. At the end of the day, I survived and passed.

What made you choose to join the Navy?

Well, it鈥檚 not like how it is in Nigeria. Here, joining the military is very encouraged; you get lots of benefits like tuition waivers and free education for your children. You can also get access to no-interest loans. And, if you are not a citizen, you become eligible for citizenship.

My brother joined the US Army first. But I chose the Navy because I saw it as slightly less physical than the Army.

Interesting. So you鈥檙e a US citizen now?

Yes, I am.

Did you have any longer-term plans when you left Nigeria for the US?

No, I didn’t really have a plan. It was just a case of getting in and figuring out how to go about it once I arrived. We got here and then looked for opportunities to change our status. But now, career-wise, I hope to just keep growing and hopefully, down the line, run a business that鈥檒l allow me to retire.

There has been a lot of anti-immigrant talk in the US recently. Does that make you uncomfortable?

Not really. People have a right to vote, and they voted for whoever is in power. Nothing happening right now is a surprise because this was basically the manifesto of the current administration. It鈥檚 what they campaigned on. I am not affected because I am already a citizen. But I鈥檒l just say that we are getting what was voted for.

Have you felt discriminated against due to your race or nationality?

I鈥檒l give you a recent example. I was bringing up my new 75-inch TV in the elevator, and a white man came in. He saw me with the TV and asked why I was delivering it there. He thought I was the delivery man.

Things like that happen a lot. When people here see a Black person in certain situations, they make silly assumptions like that. If they see you in an expensive car, they might assume you鈥檙e just the driver.

I told the man the TV was mine and I didn鈥檛 let it affect me personally, but I see how it could be disappointing for others who experience things like that.

What has been your worst experience in the US?

My worst experience was in Chicago when I was struggling to pass my swim qualification for the Navy. Others had graduated, and I was left behind, feeling stuck. It made me start wondering why I even came.

Other than that, the US has provided me with opportunities I never would have thought of. It is a level playing ground. The son of nobody can become somebody here.

What has been your best experience?

I鈥檝e had some really good ones. Graduating from school, getting a job, and becoming a US citizen have been really good experiences. Generally, it鈥檚 a really great feeling doing so well for myself and seeing that all my friends are doing well too.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in the US?

I鈥檒l say nine out of ten. I鈥檓 not saying ten because nothing is ever perfect.

Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me . For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).

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