Glorious Olajire
The popularity of the Yoruba word “Japa”, meaning to flee, has reverberated through various corridors of conversation, most often beginning or almost always ending with the question, “I thought you would have left the country”.
The discussion around this is often fuelled by the challenges of the everyday Nigerian; insecurity, outdated infrastructure, unequal opportunities and others. Often the tail end of such discussion always drives towards “If you find an opportunity to leave, please leave” is a common advice mantra.
A survey done by Pew Research in 2017 confirmed that 74 per cent of Nigerians would leave the country if they had the means and opportunity. Another survey in 2019 showed that 45 per cent of adults in Nigeria say they plan to move to another country within the next five years.
We asked Nigerians who had obtained a degree from a university, had worked in Nigeria and captured their journey in relocating their families to other countries. We discuss the topics of culture shocks and the possibility of returning to the country.
Olaoluwa Sangodokun’s Journey
For Olaoluwa Sangodokun, the choice to relocate came after getting a second masters’ degree in Geographical Information Systems and remote sensing in the UK “When I returned, it took some time to find, a well-paying job in that area” He eventually got a job, but, “Even when I got one, it wasn’t so rewarding, though there was at least some sense of satisfaction in that one was doing what one liked, but after some time I felt an urge that I would need a PhD”
After spending about 5 years working in Nigeria, he left again for a PhD in Germany. “It was during the PhD, that I started seeing the situation of things in the country, that if you wanted to really live a meaningful life, there are other ways in which you could contribute to socio-economic development and at the same time also balance it, with a good livelihood for yourself, country, family and so on”
After working for about 6 months in Germany, he moved to Japan for a post-doctoral fellowship, after which, he moved to the United States, where he has been living with his family for the past thirteen years. On taxation, he specified the US “believes in a progressive taxation of a sort. The more you earn, the more you pay” So one can hardly do anything about this. It is what it is
Reflecting on how far he has come, and if his expectations have been met, he put forward there is always a tradeoff in what you gain. Staying in one part of the world or another. “Yes, I would think that some of my goals have been met…On the one hand, you could say I am financially stable.
If I were still at home(Nigeria), I would not have missed the opportunity of constant physical interaction with some of my friends, people who grew up together with me. But on the other hand, I would have missed the opportunity of financial stability I have here in the USA.”
We also spoke about investments in the country. “One of the ways I am giving back currently is by setting up an online tech training school that is very moderately priced… we believe that when the student is properly trained, and honed all of the practical, they’ll be exposed to skills that’ll make them immediately employable either right here in Nigeria or remotely in the UK, US or other parts of Europe”
Culture and Changes
“What is more important to me is this, when you talk about culture, based on my religion which is Christianity, you look at what culture is consistent with your Christian belief. If you believe those cultures are consistent with your Christian belief, you embrace it.
If not you push it and embrace Christianity in its entirety. That is the whole duty of man, we are not living for culture, but we are living to serve and glorify God.” Still speaking on culture, he added that his children have the option of learning the Nigerian language if they want to.
On changes he would like to see in Nigeria, he had this to say “Without proper attention being paid to governance, making sure we have open governance, reducing corruption to the lowest possible and ensuring that we deal with the problems of the country.”” Olaoluwa maintained.
Beyond this “We must create an enabling environment that channels resources where they’ll yield the most in terms of economic benefits, change would not be possible. It may take some time to get the country back on track, but if we start now, and we do it with dedication and determination, it is possible to see changes” He concluded
Toluwani Adedeji’s Journey
After a degree in English from the University of Ibadan, Toluwani Adedeji, a business analyst in the UK, developed an interest in problem-solving. “After school, I wanted to go into business and I knew my passion was solving problems and was looking for a career that would help me solve business problems. After a little bit of research, I found business analysis.”
During that time, she was in the United Kingdom, because her mum was rounding up her Ph.D. program. “I got a certification and started to look for jobs, but not long after that, we had to return to Nigeria. Not long after I started applying for jobs and getting nothing, which was around the time the pandemic was happening, and as you can imagine, not many companies were recruiting. Eventually I had to go to Abuja for my NYSC”
She got a job as a business analyst, but her experience was not too good. “I did everything; admin work, marketing, content management and many other things which were not business analysis related. The salary could barely cover transport, not to talk of living expenses. So I left.
My monthly earning was not enough for transport per month, not to mention living expenses and it was not easy to look for a new job, to leave the one when you’re at to get a better job.”
“In Abuja, you need to know someone up there or be willing to pay between N500- N2 Million Naira to get a job”. She said, But after many failed attempts my husband and I began to discuss the possibility of relocating to Canada, But as God will have it My husband got a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom and we left Nigeria in 2021.
Toluwani shared some insight into how they prepared and what the early days were like “Even though we had money for flight and visa and had begun putting money aside, we did not have money for proof of funds. We had to borrow that from friends who were in the UK and we had to return the money when we got to the United Kingdom.
In the first six months, we did not have to pay for accommodation, because I was living in the accommodation provided under my husband’s scholarship. But I got pregnant and we got here in September, and I became pregnant in October. Between then and February we could not get a place. I was a kitchen portal, did care work, worked for cafes, but the week I got pregnant, I got an offer to work as a business analyst for a law firm in the UK”
On taxation “I still feel very pained when I get my pay slip and I see how much I am being taxed and how much I am earning. But I think the situation is better than staying in Nigeria. Yes, the mixed feelings that you are left with $1000, but the things I can achieve with that encourage me. It is harder with a baby, but budgeting and planning is easy because even though prices change, it is not by a lot”
On non-financial remittance to Nigeria, “From scholarship advice to application support, financial support, and so on. We’ve had one-to-one conversations and have even met with groups of people who have similar questions. I have also worked with a Nigerian-based organisation in training some young folks in data analysis for free.
We are not involved in any investments but I currently run a community for African business analysts who are looking to get UK jobs. And I’m working on a website where Nigerians can easily get information about settling and moving to the UK and also connect with African businesses in the UK”
Speaking on the pressure to send money home “Oh yes nearly half of one person’s income goes back home, every month. We set expectations immediately when we got here and ensured everyone understood that it’s not a money ritual we are doing here. If you get what I mean. And that worked in our favour so no pressure but we do have commitments. It’s not in the form of pressure but we have supported a sibling to move to the UK. We did it to help them achieve their dreams as well”
Culture and Changes
Speaking on Nigerian culture, and how she and her family preserve it for her son. Toluwani said “One of the things I wonder about is identity, he is not Scottish, but he doesn’t have any connection with the Yoruba culture. The only way we can help him is for us as parents to live that out.
So what we do is we speak Yoruba with him in the house, we know that once he goes to school, it is English the system would speak to him. To a certain degree, our son understands Yoruba and he is only a year old. He is beginning to say some Yoruba words We speak Yoruba to him,
On his birthday we dress him in our native attire. We have relics that we have kept for him and would show him as a connection to his background. If he meets anyone who is Yoruba, he is able to pick Yoruba words from them and he does understand. It is our dream that he will become a well-informed Nigeria man.
Toluwani advised Nigerians who want to relocate “It’s not all rosy, you can’t be lazy and expect things to work. You need to put the right amount of effort into it, but when you do be sure that you’ll get results.
Also, you only get out of the UK what you set your mind to get out of it. Don’t come thinking you can only do menial jobs. Prepare yourself, get the right skills and qualifications, and the sky will be your starting point.”
Toluwani also hopes to return home. “I would like to return to Nigeria, I miss Nigeria in so many ways but my husband and I are both working full time. But returning to Nigeria now would mean we have lost the jobs we have now. For this reason, I don’t see that happening for the next 5 to 10 years. We have plans to visit, and we have family in Nigeria. But we have a baby now. He was born here and it is a long process to get him his passport and every other essential document that will make him a citizen.
When I start to think of all the processes that it would take to get him to come for Christmas or something, I just changed my mind.”
Pc: DCstudio freepik
