Pelumi (30) moved to the UK in 2021 to study for a master���s degree at the University of Stirling. From adjusting to winter and learning to navigate Scotland to failing her final research module, extending her student visa and eventually graduating a year later, Pelumi says her journey has been one of perseverance, faith and learning to adapt.

Where do you live at the moment and when did you leave Nigeria?

I am currently in the United Kingdom (UK), and I left Nigeria in September 2021.

Why did you leave?

I got a scholarship for my master’s degree in Human Resource Management at the University of Stirling, Scotland.

Have you always planned to leave Nigeria?

No, not at all. I didn’t plan to travel out of the country. After I finished my Higher National Diploma (HND), I felt I couldn’t just be comfortable with having only an HND. I wanted academic advancement. At the time, I was trying to do a conversion programme in Nigeria with my HND.

It was my brother who encouraged me to try applying for a master���s in the UK. At first, I was like, ���Is it really possible?��� He told me to give it a try because I had finished well with my HND.

I applied to so many universities and got about six rejections before the University of Stirling in Scotland gave me admission.

How did your family react when you got the admission?

They were very happy. They were really proud of me and happy that I was going for my master���s. 

Did you have any doubts before leaving Nigeria?

It was a normal feeling to wonder whether I was making the right decision, but I had already prayed about it. I’m someone who takes prayer very seriously and wants to understand what God wants me to do.

Even while applying for the master���s, I prayed that if it was God’s plan for me, everything should work out. When I started getting different rejections, I wasn’t even too bothered. I just thought maybe it wasn’t God’s plan for my life, or maybe it wasn’t my time.

Then, when the time came, things started aligning, and I got the admission.

On the night I was leaving, I was worried because I was only 25 and travelling to a new country alone. I had no friends or siblings going with me. But I knew that if God was taking me there, He would sort everything out for me.

Must have been nice. Was it on a scholarship or did you fund everything by yourself?

It was a scholarship, but not fully funded. I received a 20% scholarship, while my family funded the rest. I was 25 at the time, had just finished my national service, and wasn’t working; I was not married or anything, so there was no way I could have funded it myself. What makes it interesting is that I applied for my master���s with my HND.  

You said you applied using your HND. How was that possible?

It was possible. Applying for a master���s degree with an HND usually requires having a Distinction or a strong Upper Credit, a good Cumulative Grade Point Average (CPGA), and a strong personal statement. Also, you will be fine as long as you make sure you are applying for a master���s course that is relevant to the course you studied in your HND. These things can make a big difference when your application is being considered. 

You mentioned that getting your master’s was a big deal for your family. Tell me more about your educational journey.

My story is really a long journey of perseverance. My sister went to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and my brother went to the University of Abuja, while I was the only one who attended a polytechnic. I went to a polytechnic but became the first person in my family to get a master’s degree.

I didn’t initially plan to have an HND. After my National Diploma (ND), I finished with a 4.0 and was the second-best student in my department. I tried to use direct entry to study Public Administration, but I wasn’t given admission.

My mum would always tell me that God had a plan for my life and that I should trust Him. So when I couldn’t get the direct-entry admission, I returned for my HND and made sure I finished well.

I tried again during my HND and still wasn’t given admission. At that point, I decided to stop chasing it and focus on doing well with my HND.

Then I started looking at other options, including conversion programmes. Eventually, I got the opportunity to apply for a master’s in the UK.

So when I eventually graduated, it meant a lot to me because I knew everything I had gone through to get there.

It was a long journey. A very long journey. For me, it was a journey of perseverance and not giving up. Sometimes when I think about everything, I just thank God.

So, how did you feel when you landed in the UK?

I was happy that I was finally in the UK, but I won’t lie, there were many challenges. There were so many things I needed to adapt to.

Challenges? Like what?��

The first challenge for me was dressing. I’m a Deeper Life church girl, so I didn’t wear trousers. I had never worn trousers in my life. Then I arrived in the UK during winter.

I remember one day I went out and eventually had to take a taxi back home because I was struggling with the cold. For about six months, I kept thinking, ���No, I will stay true to myself.��� But eventually, I had to reconsider some things.

Initially, I would wear leggings underneath my gown or skirt. That was how I managed myself for a while. But I knew I couldn’t continue like that. So, when I started wearing trousers, I convinced myself that there was nothing wrong with it. For me, it became a matter of personal conviction. I still believe people should dress modestly and not expose their bodies, but I also believe everything should be done in moderation.

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Did your church have a problem with the changes?

No, they have no problem with it. I still attend Deeper Life church in the UK. I’m married now and have children, but we still attend the church. I didn’t change churches because I moved to the UK.

Why do you think Deeper Life church in the UK has no problem with it?

I think the environment plays a role. The UK is different from Nigeria. I’ve talked about this a lot on Facebook, and people have had plenty to say about it. I also believe it comes down to personal conviction. For instance, you can wear leggings but not trousers, right? But what’s actually the difference between the two?

Also, if you’re a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit, and you should be able to know what is right for you.

I’ve never used attachment before, but I started using it when I got to the UK. People have different opinions about these things, but for me, it’s about personal conviction.

Apart from dressing, what other challenges did you face when you arrived?

Navigation was another major one. In Nigeria, I didn’t really use Google Maps, but in the UK I had to learn quickly.

The first time I went to work, I went to a completely different place. I was stranded and eventually had to go back home.

Food was another issue. At the time, there weren’t as many African shops as there are now. I was a student and didn’t have much money, so I couldn’t afford to keep shipping food from Nigeria. I had to start eating some Scottish food.

How different was the education system from what you were used to in Nigeria?

There were a lot of differences. One of the first things I noticed was that almost everything was done online.

In Nigeria, some assignments are submitted as hard copies, but in the UK, you submit assignments from your laptop. Tests and quizzes are also done online. Basically, everything is on the laptop.

If you’re someone who doesn’t know how to use a laptop or find your way around one, you could struggle a lot. I didn’t struggle too much, but it was still a bit challenging sometimes.

What would you say your biggest challenge as a student in the UK was then?

The biggest challenge came towards the end of my studies when I had to retake my research module. It was the toughest period of my entire life. 

Ehn ehn, what happened?

In the UK, when you fail a module, you can be asked to resubmit it again one more time. I got 40 at first, and resubmitted again, and I think I got 44. Then I received an email telling me that I had failed the module again and that my points were no longer enough for my master���s degree.

At that point, I had two options. I could retake the course the following year, or I could accept a postgraduate certificate instead. So, if the points for a master’s is 170 and you got 140, they’ll advise you to collect a certificate instead if you don’t want to retake the course. 

It was a very difficult decision because it was also going to affect my visa. If I wanted to retake the course, I would need to extend my student visa and undergo the whole process all over again. 

How did that affect you personally?

It was a lot. I was already married at the time, and I was pregnant, so I was dealing with everything at once.

I remember being very discouraged. I told my brother I couldn’t do it and that I would just collect the postgraduate certificate. A lot of people had told me they couldn’t be bothered with the stress and would rather accept the certificate.

But my family encouraged me. They told me to look at how far I had come and apply for the extension so I could retake the course.

So I applied and got a six-month extension on my student visa. I had to get a new letter from the school and apply for another visa.

And you had to retake the module?

I retook it. Even when I was about to submit the work, I was praying because I knew it was my final chance. I kept telling God that if I failed again, that would be the end.

Thankfully, I got 55 and was able to graduate the following year. I didn’t graduate with my mates. I graduated the following year, so it was basically an extra year for me. It was crazy, but I survived it. It was the biggest challenge of my life. 

That must have been hard. How did you support yourself financially and emotionally during your studies?

As a student, I could work 20 hours a week, so I worked those hours. It wasn’t easy working as a student while attending classes and doing assignments.

My family paid my school fees, so I mainly had to take care of my accommodation, food, and other small expenses. That gave me some room to work and support myself.

Emotionally, my family and the community I joined in the UK were very helpful. 

What was your most memorable experience at university?

That would be my graduation day. I cried so much because I was just so happy that, after everything, I was finally able to graduate. I had gone through the extra year, retaken the module, and eventually passed.

I also had a nice experience at Stirling generally. I never experienced any racism there. The lecturers were always very nice and polite to me, so I enjoyed my stay.

Interesting. So, Stirling was nice; what happened after school?

By the time I graduated, I was already married and had just had my baby, so I wasn’t doing too much professionally. I’m now mainly focused on my family.

I have a blog; I create content, and I write online. I also work part-time because I have two kids, so I can’t work full-time at the moment.

You mentioned your husband. Did you meet him in the UK?

No, I met my husband in Nigeria. Our story is actually quite unusual. We knew each other in Nigeria, but we weren’t friends. We had mutual friends and attended the same secondary school, although I didn’t finish at that school. I left after JSS and went to Government College, so we only spent about one or two years in the same school.

We reconnected online and started a relationship. I came back to Nigeria for our wedding in March 2023. He was still in Nigeria at the time, so after the wedding, he applied for his visa and joined me in the UK two months later. A lot of people told me I was crazy and that I didn’t know what I was doing. But I thank God I’m not crazy.

Wow. So, how has life been for you as a Nigerian family in Scotland?

Life is good. You just have to adjust. Since I’m living in Scotland and don’t have plans to relocate back anytime soon, I have to adjust to the way things are done here. You have to follow the rules and regulations and do things the right way.

Raising children here also means understanding what is acceptable and what isn’t. There are things that people might consider normal in Nigeria that are taken very seriously here. For me, the key is setting your priorities right, surrounding yourself with people who genuinely encourage you, and having a good community.

My church in Glasgow has helped me a lot. Even when I was having issues at school, they encouraged me and supported me. Having the right community is very important. And for me, there is also the God factor. I don’t think you can raise a family without God. It’s a major part of my life.

What has been your biggest culture shock in the UK?

The politeness. Even when I first arrived, I noticed that people would say thank you to bus drivers. I was like, ���Are they not doing their work? Are they not collecting money?���

But when you’re getting down from the bus, you say thank you. Adults say it. Children say it. You just say thank you.

People are also very respectful in the way they speak to one another. Even if a lecturer is talking to you, there is a certain level of respect. Giving people respect is a big deal here.

Is there anything about the way things work in the UK that you wish Nigeria could adopt?

I would say law enforcement and the implementation of rules. In Nigeria, they can make rules, but implementing them is often the problem. Here, they investigate things properly before making decisions, and people generally follow the rules.

Even something as simple as crossing the road is different. You wait for the traffic light to turn green before crossing. People queue without needing security or police officers to tell them to line up.

Driving is another example. My friend recently told me she was taking her practical driving test for the fifth time. Some people don’t pass until their tenth attempt. It is not easy, but once you pass, you know you have to follow the rules when you drive.

Everything is just orderly. People follow the rules and regulations, and I think that is something that could help Nigeria.

You mentioned that you don’t have plans to return to Nigeria anytime soon. Does that mean you’re staying in the UK permanently?

I never said I don’t have plans to return o. I said that since I’m living here, I don’t have plans to relocate back anytime soon.

If, in the next 10 years, God tells me to go back, I’ll pack my bags and go. My life is based on what God tells me to do. Whether I’m in Canada or Nigeria, I believe God’s blessing will reach me. 

What’s one of your convictions that God is the ultimate planner?

When I was preparing to travel, I had other plans. I had already gotten admission to Cotonou in Benin to study for a BSc and had started before I got the master���s admission in the UK. So if I hadn’t gotten the UK admission, I would still have been doing great things for myself in Benin or Nigeria.

Wow, why did you choose the UK master���s instead of continuing with the BSc in Cotonou?

Getting a master’s with an HND was a big deal to me. You know how HND holders are treated in Nigeria. I had tried several times to get admission through direct entry for a BSc. I wasn’t given admission.

Even when I finished my ND with a 4.0 and was one of the best students in my department, I couldn’t get the direct-entry admission I wanted. Someone I encouraged to apply had a lower grade and got admission, but I didn’t. So I returned to the polytechnic for my HND and made sure I finished well.

I also tried direct entry again during my HND and still wasn’t given admission. Eventually, I decided to focus on finishing my HND well and looking for other opportunities.

I applied for conversion programmes in different places and even got admission somewhere in Nigeria. I had started making payments and preparing to go before I eventually got the UK admission.

What would you say to Nigerians with HNDs who feel limited by their qualifications?

Don’t limit yourself. If you finish with a good grade, whether distinction or upper credit, build yourself. Attend conferences, go to meetings, network, and look for opportunities.

There are many opportunities out there. Even if you don’t want to get a BSc or postgraduate degree, you can still do great things with an HND.

I know people who have done amazing things with their HNDs. One woman I know studied at a polytechnic in Lagos and later travelled abroad. She recently got her BSc. in Cyprus, but even before that, she had already achieved a lot.

So I encourage people not to limit themselves. 

Do you still keep in touch with your friends in Nigeria?

Yes, but only a few of them. A lot of my friends are now in the UK too. I’m also a very busy woman. I work part-time, I have a blog, I create content, I write on Facebook, and I have two children. So I don’t have as much time as I used to, but I still have a few friends in Nigeria that I chat with.

How would you rate your experience in the UK so far?

I’d say eight out of ten. The UK has generally been nice to my family and me. As I said, I have a good community here; people are generally nice, and things work better here. 

Bunmi (28) moved to the UK in 2023, hoping to gain experience that would take him closer to his plans for a master���s in Special Language Therapy. But the reality of life abroad came with a few surprises, including the struggle to find stable work and the need to navigate life away from family.

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

I live in the UK. I moved in September 2023. 

What were you doing in Nigeria before you moved to the UK?

I was working as an account officer.

What made you decide to leave Nigeria?

I studied Linguistics and African Languages at university, and I wanted to travel abroad for my master���s in Special Language Therapy (which is still my plan). I kept applying for schools, and couldn’t get in because I didn’t have the necessary experience. So I applied to come to the UK as a care worker to obtain the necessary experience before getting into a school.

Was moving abroad always part of your plan?

Moving abroad was never my ultimate plan. Most of my friends were shocked that I travelled because I had always said I didn’t want to. But at a point, all the opportunities just came at once. Someone called my dad and advised that there are some opportunities his son could leverage. So, I just locked in, and we started applying to different schools. I didn’t get into any but got a job instead.��

What did you think your life in the UK would look like before you arrived?

I was already calculating how much I’d be making per month, how I’d spend it, where I’d go, and all of that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like I had thought. I was expecting the UK to be some sort of paradise. It didn’t pan out that way 

What was the first thing in the UK that made you realise you’re now abroad?

That’d be public transportation. I took the underground, and everything went according to the scheduled time. Everything was organised.��

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What was your biggest culture shock?

Referring to people without the cultural respect we used back in Nigeria. Back home, we use ���uncle��� and ���aunty��� for anyone way older than us. But here, everyone calls one another by name. I have colleagues in their fifties and sixties, and I’m compelled to call them by their names. 

Was there any experience that made you think, ���They would never do this in Nigeria.

I live very close to the beach right now. Sometimes I go swimming. Although in London, they’ll probably steal your phone if you drop it anywhere. But in Bournemouth, it’s quite safe. When I started living here, I was always surprised to see how safe your belongings are in public spaces. We don’t always have that in Nigeria. Of course, it’s everywhere, not just at the same level. 

What was the hardest part of your first few months in the UK?

It was when I arrived. The company I was supposed to be working with suddenly started having issues with its clients. So, I couldn’t start work when I needed to, and I had bills to pay. I didn’t have the money to really cater for myself, and I was almost stranded because things were really difficult.

Did you have to start your career from scratch, or were you able to continue what you were doing in Nigeria?

I had to learn a few things when I got here. But I wouldn’t say I started from scratch because I had a few experiences in what I’m doing right now. I’ve volunteered, dealt with people in the care system, and actively helped people in the communities. So, not from scratch, but working in the UK gave me a new perspective on life and the care sector.

What’s the biggest difference between working in Nigeria and doing the same thing in the UK?

You’re all on your own. You either work to pay your bills, or you don’t, and you suffer. Plus,  you need to keep working. In Nigeria, there’s always family, no matter what happens. 

What’s the most expensive or financially painful part of living in the UK that nobody warned you about?

The financially painful part is having a job to pay the bills. When I first came, it was really a struggle to get a good, stable job because they���d tell you that you needed a certain number of months or years of experience before they could offer you certain kinds of jobs. If you can’t afford to pay the bills, you’ll most likely end up living on the streets. 

Do you actually have more disposable income or savings now than you did in Nigeria?

Yes. Back home, I was barely surviving on my income. It wasn’t even sufficient to rent my own space. But now, I can afford my own rent, car, and other bills. Couldn’t afford to live the life I’m living now in Nigeria on Nigeria’s income. 

Have you experienced racism, discrimination or any situation where you felt like an outsider? 

Yes, a number of times.

What happened?

Sometimes people ask me if I got to the UK by boat. But I’ve never felt like an outsider because I don’t go around looking at people with the mentality that they’ll be racist towards me. When my friends and I go out, they’d tell me that some people are staring at us, and I’d tell them I didn’t notice. I’m not bothered about it. 

How has moving to the UK affected your relationships with your family and friends back home?

Moving to the UK didn’t affect my relationship with my family and friends. I have a very small friendship circle, and we still keep in touch. 

What about your dating or relationship life?

I had a partner before coming here, and we are still together. She’s the love of my life.

What’s one thing about Nigeria you didn’t think you’d miss until you left?

I’d have said the food, but I can still find it here. Maybe the way we treat big people. In Nigeria, if you carry yourself well, people will start hailing you for money. But here, everyone is equal and just going about their business. 

What’s something about life in Nigeria that you now appreciate more because you’ve lived abroad?

The hard work. My dad really raised me to be hardworking, and that has helped me here. There’s no place where I’ve worked that doesn’t always want me to come back. So, Nigeria did well in that part.

Have you ever seriously thought, ���Maybe I should just go back to Nigeria���? 

Yes, sometimes.  

When I couldn’t secure the job that brought me to the UK, I couldn’t find another job quickly. I had to move around a lot looking for jobs, and I felt so alone. I thought no matter how bad it is in Nigeria, I always had my family. And sometimes, there’s that feeling of loneliness that comes with leaving your home far away, and you and your family are just left with your struggles.

Will you go back to Nigeria one day?

Yes. I have a plan for the Nigerian community. That’s the ultimate goal. I’m still working and trying to sort out a few things. When I’m done, I’d like to relocate back to my own country, build a life, and implement what I’ve learnt for the benefit of Nigerians.

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

I’d say a solid eight. 

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Even though Dickson (27) grew up in Germany, he had been trying to leave because nothing about the country felt like home. In this story, he talks about growing up Nigerian in Germany, the crushing racism he experienced, and his move to the UK.

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

I live in London, United Kingdom (UK). I am fully Nigerian, but I was born in Germany. I left in 2021 to come to the UK.

Have you visited Nigeria before?

Yes, I have. I actually just returned after my grandma���s funeral. This recent visit was my fourth time in Nigeria.

How were the visits?

They have generally been really good, but the one that has stuck out the most through the years was my first visit. I was only a child, and it was also the first time I ever travelled anywhere. It���s still fresh in my memory; It was with my mum, and we went out a couple of times to eat authentic Nigerian food.

My mum is a good cook, and I���ve always eaten authentic Nigerian food. I cook as well, but eating in Nigeria was just different.

Nigeria is a lively and loud (but in a warm way) place, and my visits have generally been so nice.

That���s beautiful. Let���s talk about Germany; why did you leave?

Germany has never been nice to me. It simply wasn���t the place for me, and I knew this even as a child. I was only eight years old when I first wanted to leave, but I obviously couldn���t leave because of my mum.

I always wanted to live in the same country as my other relatives in the UK and the US. The UK was the quickest way to leave because it���s a European country and right next to Germany.

Do you mind sharing the reasons you didn���t enjoy Germany?

The racism in Germany was overwhelming. Everything was extra hard because I looked different. They don���t treat you nicely, they don���t care to listen, and they make no attempt to make life easier for you, even a little bit.

At school, they treat you like shit. I apologise for my language, but that���s how it was for me. I���ve spoken about this on my TikTok multiple times, especially the school systems.

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What���s that about?

In Germany, primary school education runs from years 1 to 4, and secondary schools are divided into categories: secondary schools for the smart, semi-smart, and then one for slower or more difficult children.

After the fourth year of primary school, teachers are required to recommend the secondary school their students should attend. I was the only black kid in my class of 30, and I was the only one my teacher recommended for the last category because she said I was dumb. 

Having no say over it, I went to the school she sent me to, but I was switched to the school for semi-smart students because my grades were far too good for the one I was in. 

That���s really bad. I���m sorry you had to experience that.

Thank you. That���s just one of the ways they make things difficult for you. My parents didn���t have it easy either. Because they couldn���t speak German, I explained all government letters to them and often went with them to government offices for the same purpose. I saw a lot of things, and let me tell you, they weren���t nice things.

That must have sucked. Were there any positive sides to your time in Germany?

That���s a good question, but I unfortunately couldn���t answer it properly even if I tried. I feel this question would be much more suited for someone who has fully lived there as an adult. I can���t tell you anything good right away because I spent my childhood, teenage years, and early adult life there. Sure, I had some fun whenever I attended festivals with my friends and cousins, but that���s pretty much it.

London is far better. There are many things to do here, and more opportunities.��

What was the weather and food in Germany like?

I lived in western Germany, where it always rains. Apart from the one month in summer, when we had nice weather, it was always almost grey.

I can���t really say much about the food because I grew up in a fully Nigerian home and my mum always, always made Nigerian food. It���s actually most recently that she started attempting to make European dishes.

So, what do you do now in the UK?

I���m currently at the University, working two jobs. One of them is as an au pair, a live-in nanny.

What made you get into being an au pair?

I not only like working with children, but it���s more like a gift from God. It just comes naturally to me. I���ve been taking care of kids since I was a kid myself. I was only ten when I had to watch my younger cousins, so it���s always been easy.

Being an au pair was also one of the easiest ways to leave Germany, so it just worked.

Nice. So, what are your plans after university?

I���m currently studying Computer Science. I would love to get into tech once I���m done.

You���ve been in the UK for five years. What���s been your best experience so far?

I���ve had so many great experiences, but my best moments are probably the time I travel with the children. We went to Paris two weeks ago, and it was really fun, not just because it was Paris, but because it was with the kids. Earlier, you asked me if being an au pair is fulfilling; it is. I���ve wanted to do this since I was a teenager, but couldn���t because of my mum.

That���s lovely. What have been the worst moments?

There was a period when I thought I���d have to leave the UK and move back to Germany. Those were the absolute worst times I���ve had here.

I was trying to get into school, and there was a lot of back-and-forth about my English proficiency. Because my parents couldn���t speak German, I grew up with English as my first language and picked up German in nursery school. So, obviously, I can speak English, but I had a hard time proving this to school authorities, seeing as my A-level certificate was in German. 

So there was a period of uncertainty over my stay in the UK, and it weighed heavily on me. Thankfully, it worked out, and I was admitted to the university.

How do you feel about the recent anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK, given the racism you experienced in Germany?

Racism is everywhere, but it matters what the system does to combat it, and that���s exactly the difference between living in the UK and Germany. If you experience racism in Germany, you���re pretty much left on your own to deal with it. In the UK, however, you can actually sue someone for being racist. It was a shock to me.

Sure, it might not always work, but just knowing that the system put something in place is reassuring. 

So, have you experienced racism at all in the UK?

I have. But it hasn���t come directly from white people; it���s mostly been from other foreigners.

Once, when I had just moved here, I went to the corner shop to buy something, and the Pakistani guy who owned it kept following me around because he saw I was black and thought I was going to steal something.

I haven���t really been around white people enough to experience racism from them; it���s just been other minorities.

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That���s interesting. It���s not something we always hear

I can see how that would be interesting, but I also experienced racism from minorities in Germany.

One clear example was when I wanted to move out of my mum���s house and was looking for an apartment. I was the only black person among all the people who had lined up to see a particular shared apartment. There were some Turkish guys and a bunch of white people, and then there was me.

After we had all seen the apartment and were filing out, I was stopped and told that it couldn���t work out. I was so hurt at being the only one who got that response that I asked them aloud if it was because of my skin colour. They just looked at each other.

So, would you say the UK has lived up to your expectations?

It definitely has. I���m still introverted, but I���m more outgoing than I ever was in Germany.

That sounds so nice. Were there any culture shocks that you experienced when you moved to the UK?

Not exactly. The only thing that I had to adjust to was the traffic. In Germany, it���s on the right, but here, it���s on the left.

Everything else is pretty much the same. It rains here just as much as it does in Germany, and I really haven���t experienced the British cuisine. I���m a very Nigerian guy; I enjoy Nigerian food and cook everything myself.

What���s your favourite and least favourite thing about London?

I love how multicultural London is, and I love that there���s always an option for anything you want to do. You will always find a function to go to.

My least favourite thing is the amount of planning and time that goes into moving from one end to the other.

Do you ever see yourself permanently moving to Nigeria in the future?

I love Nigeria, and I feel at ease anytime I visit. I would definitely want to move there someday, but only if the politics get better. Obviously, every country has its own version of problematic politics, but Nigeria���s is just something else. I know Nigeria has the potential to be great, and I hope it happens soon.

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

It���s a solid eight out of ten. I���m not rating it an eight because something is missing; I just believe things can be better, no matter where I am. I could always have more money, more time, and less stress.

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).

Click here to see what other people are saying about this article on Instagram��

The following is a collection of stories from queer Abroad Life subjects about leaving Nigeria for countries where they can live their truth unapologetically.

���I spent 20 playing the good boy just to escape Nigeria��� ��� James*, 25, M

Growing up feminine in Nigeria meant constant bullying. I played the “good boy” role for two decades just so my dad would fund my education abroad. But right before I left for the UK in 2022, my world shattered. I was “kitoed” by homophobes who beat and blackmailed me, and the very next night, an acquaintance sexually assaulted me while I was frozen in trauma. My spirit was broken, but I forced myself onto that flight because staying meant death.

I am in Canada now, physically safe and thriving professionally. I���m currently looking for a therapist to help me unpack it all and learn how to actually live.

*James��� story was originally published on March 20, 2026. Read the full story here. 

���I can finally come out to my homophobic parents��� ��� Tope*, 33, F

I had a comfortable life in Nigeria, earning ���35 million working in oil and gas. But I also knew I couldn’t navigate Nigeria’s toxic, secretive dating scene forever���having to be with women who were also with men as ���cover.��� I moved to the US in 2022 and completely started over.

Today, I am married to an incredible woman whose family has welcomed me with open arms. My super-religious parents are very homophobic and ask me about a husband whenever I call. It is heartbreaking, but the absolute safety of my marriage has given me the strength to finally come out to them next year. I am done hiding.

*Tope���s story was originally published on November 21, 2025. Read the full story here.

���I was bullied for being effeminate in Nigeria, but my partner���s family adopted me as their own��� ��� Peter*, 28, M

In Nigeria, I was constantly bullied and called female names because of my appearance and sexuality. I finally escaped to the UK in 2023, but my first year here was pure survival mode, working brutal hours at multiple jobs.

Everything shifted when I met my partner on a dating app. Moving abroad with zero family is a quick route to depression, but his family completely adopted me as their own. For the first time, I have a safe space to cry, vent, and completely heal.

*Peter���s story was originally published on March 20, 2026. Read the full story here.

���Hollywood completely lied to me about how free queer people are in America��� ��� Gabriel*, 31, M

I bolted to the US in 2021 for graduate school, desperate to live openly away from my homophobic family. But the glorious, rainbow-coloured freedom we always saw in Hollywood movies turned out to be a massive lie. Landing in a conservative “Red State”, I was hit with a harsh mix of homophobia and racism.

Even worse, the American queer community turned out to be incredibly toxic and vain. Because I am an effeminate immigrant, I am either treated with open disdain or heavily fetishised on dating apps by people who treat my nationality like an item on their checklist. Life here has been painfully lonely, but I���m still looking for a loving, monogamous relationship.

*Gabriel���s story was originally published on March 20, 2026. Read the full story here.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

���I fled Nigeria to save my life, and my queer activism became my ticket to asylum��� ��� Saratu*, 25, F

Living in Kaduna as a masculine-presenting queer woman meant being trapped in constant fear. I had to hide from my family and society, and I saw friends get killed or go missing. In 2024, I managed to get to the UK on a student visa and then applied for asylum.

Thanks to the evidence of my underground activism in Nigeria, my refugee status was granted. Life feels so much lighter now. The absolute best thing about the UK is the complete freedom. I can walk down the street looking as masculine as I want, and nobody stares or judges me because everyone is too busy chasing their own goals.

*Saratu���s story was originally published on March 20, 2026. Read the full story here.

���I married a gay man just to escape my deeply religious family��� ��� Fathia*, 31, F

Where I���m from in northern Nigeria, you aren���t allowed to move out of your parents��� house until you get married. For over 20 years, my life was an exhausting acting gig because I was agnostic and queer, living with an extremely religious Muslim family. When the pressure to marry became unbearable, I entered a lavender marriage with a gay Nigerian man living in Canada.

We agreed to get married to satisfy our families while living completely separate lives. Our parents happily swallowed the bait, and I landed in Canada in 2023. Settling in brought deep isolation and a rough job market, but I’ve made great friends, and I’m dating someone now. I finally get to experience the independent adulthood that most northern Nigerian girls are completely denied.

*Fathia���s story was originally published on March 20, 2026. Read the full story here.

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).

When Peter (24) left for South Africa to study music production, everyone warned him to ���be safe��� due to xenophobic attacks. In this story, he talks about his time and experiences in Johannesburg and how South Africans have turned out to be far more welcoming than he ever expected.

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

I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, and I left Nigeria in early 2025.

What made you move?

I left for creative school. By my second year of studying electrical engineering at university, I had mentally checked out and only saw it through because my parents were paying for it. What I really wanted to do was music production and sound engineering, so I told my parents I wouldn���t be doing a 9-5 job once I graduated.

After school, I interned with a major music producer in Nigeria for a while. When I left that, I ventured into working with media, learning about sound for media at EbonyLife Creative Academy. It was around that time that my mum suggested I pursue a formal education and actually become certified.

The initial plan was to go to the United States, but the school fees were too expensive. So I looked at other options and found an opportunity in South Africa. I applied and got admitted to study Sound Production at the here.

Why didn���t you study in Nigeria?

I didn’t see any options for exactly what I wanted in Nigeria. Most of the options I saw there were theoretical music training. But training for music and training for sound production are two different things.

Unlike the music schools in Nigeria, we don’t have traditional exams where you sit down with pen and paper. Our assignments make up our grade. For example, they can give you a set of multi-tracks and tell you to mix them for your test. It is more hands-on than just learning theory. It���s rare to see that in Nigeria.

Let’s talk about South Africa. What was it like when you first arrived?

It was so cold. You see snow on TV and think it looks nice. Trust me, it doesn’t feel nice. I arrived in the autumn, just before winter, but I was already shaking. The actual winter came around May, and that was when I really knew what cold was.

I was also anxious about experiencing Xenophobia because of the things I had heard, so when I got here, I decided not to move around too much. But when I did, I didn���t see any visible hatred.

Because people here can easily tell you���re Nigerian from your accent, so once they hear that, they ask where I���m from, and I tell them Nigeria. What follows is them asking me things like, “Oh, do you know Davido?”

There was no visible hatred. What I���ve learned is that xenophobia exists here, but only in certain parts of the country, mostly in the townships, which are more rural. You don���t see it in the cities. And even in the places where it���s more common, if you have South African friends around you, you���ll be fine.

Are you saying the xenophobic sentiment is not as bad as people might think?

I feel like the media has made it look bigger than it is.  immigration is an actual issue in South Africa, but it has been hijacked by xenophobic people to attack everyone. And the xenophobic ones are a small minority.

But the media picks it up and presents only one perspective, and that���s dangerous. When the news of xenophobia breaks, it makes people react blindly. I remember when I was in Nigeria, and news of xenophobic attacks literally made people raid a Shoprite near where I lived.

So you���ve never been worried about being attacked in South Africa?

I haven’t had any reason to be afraid of attacks. My school is far away from the townships where it usually happens. And the South Africans I have met have been friendly when they learned I was from Nigeria. There are traits that a Nigerian has that we take for granted but are fascinating to them. For example, how entrepreneurial we are.

But others don���t find it as fascinating. Nigerians come here and maybe open a business, and in just a couple of years, they grow more than the South Africans who have been here for years. Some of them look at that and say, “Wow, these Nigerian men are so enterprising.” However, some take it negatively and say, “They should just go back to their country, what are they doing in my place?” So it is two-sided. But from my personal experience, I haven’t had to be afraid because of the xenophobic attacks.

That���s great. How about your ability to make friends and build connections; has that been affected in any way?

No, definitely not. No South African I���ve met has given me reason to think they are prejudiced. I simply haven’t experienced that.

What is your support system like in South Africa?

My community is made up mainly of people I met at school or church. At school, our assignments are usually group-based practical projects. So after class, we work together on these projects, and in doing that, we learn about each other and form bonds.

The majority of my friends here are South African, and a few are Nigerian. At church, my pastor is Nigerian, but the majority of the congregation is mostly South African.

Were there any culture shocks you experienced?

The calmness. Coming from Lagos, it���s very shocking how calm and chill it is here in Johannesburg.

Another shock is that hip-hop is still a big deal here. Back home, it is mostly Afrobeats. But here, hip-hop is a massive thing among young people. Amapiano is big too, but hip-hop seems to be bigger.

Also, marriage is not seen as a big deal here, the way it is in Nigeria. Back home, parents are constantly asking when you are going to get married because they want grandchildren. The parents here don���t do that; after all, they, too, are probably not married, they just cohabit. Marriage is not seen as a sacred cultural necessity.

Another thing that shocked me here was the language barrier. They speak English, but their traditional languages are quite important to them. In Nigeria, nobody might bat an eye if you can���t speak your mother tongue, but here, that is almost like a taboo.

 Those are the three major things that shocked me when I got here. The fact that they were more welcoming than I expected was the biggest shock of all.

Have you visited Nigeria since you got to South Africa?

Yes, I usually come back in December. There is a July break for about a month, but because of flight prices, it makes more sense to come home in December. My school session doesn’t start until March, so if I am back home by late November or December, I get to stay through December, January, and February. That is three months as opposed to just one month in July.

Do you intend to return to Nigeria or build a career in South Africa?

The plan has always been to go back; it still is. Not because I don’t want to be here, but because I have many things I need to do at home. But I am trying to build relationships and contacts here.

What matters in my industry is the clients, not your physical location. Meeting artists here and building that relationship means that when they need work done, they will call me, no matter where I am.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

What would you say has been your worst experience in South Africa?

Easily, my first week here. As part of the visa process, you have to book your accommodation before coming here. I wanted a place close to school, but the area has very high rents. So I picked the cheapest accommodation I found. You don’t pay the actual rent until you arrive, but I paid the documentation and booking fee to hold the space. That was about 200 Rand.

When I arrived, a cab driver took me from the airport to the place. When we got there, he told me, “This does not seem like a good place.” He insisted it wasn’t safe and suggested we confirm first. He told me to leave my things in the car while we went in to check.

We went inside and found a lot of drug dealers smoking heavily, homeless people, and prostitutes. It was a terrible place. We got my key from the receptionist, and when we opened the room, we saw weed on my bed. That was the final straw. I video-called my parents and showed them. They asked me to leave immediately.

The driver took me to a hotel. He came back the next day, and we drove around the city, house hunting.

It took a couple of days, but we finally found a good place just a couple of minutes from school. I was only able to get it because the original renter had just cancelled their booking. It was more expensive than I had planned, but after that initial experience, I was just happy to have a good place.

That week was my worst experience here, but the driver was really helpful.

Was the driver South African?

Yes, he was South African.

What has been your best experience?

I can think of a couple. First, was a spicy food eating competition with some friends from school. One of us had this extremely hot sauce and started vomiting.

I know that sounds crazy as a best experience, but it was a really nice bonding moment for all of us. I am not a very expressive person when it comes to friendships, but that situation brought out an expressive side of me. It went from having fun to me becoming genuinely concerned and going into protective mode. It reminded me that these people are actually my friends whom I care about.

Some other really awesome experiences have been at school, having the opportunity to meet industry professionals. Our lecturers like to bring industry professionals to speak to us. Meeting Ndabo Zulu and being able to ask him questions about music really stuck out to me.

What is your favourite thing about South Africa?

It is really the people. They are much more welcoming than I thought. I had an expectation based on how things are portrayed.

A lot of them have actually researched Nigerian culture. I met a new acquaintance recently, and when she found out I was Nigerian, she started trying to speak Pidgin. She didn’t have our accent, but she was trying. They try to relate to you on your own terms. I’ve had South Africans ask me about the security situation back home, even the kidnapped children in Oyo. I wondered how they knew about that from all the way over here. It touched me in ways I didn’t expect.

What about your least favourite thing?

The weather. The winter season is tough. If I start shuttling between Nigeria and South Africa, I will always avoid the winter period from May to July. During that time, I���ll be in Nigeria. Then, from August till about March, is when I���ll prefer to be in South Africa.

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

I���ll say nine.

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).

Tolani* (24) is in Johannesburg on a fully-funded postgraduate scholarship. But while her academic dreams are thriving under a highly supportive education system, daily life is overshadowed by xenophobic violence. In this story, she talks about how she���s trying to make good memories in Johannesburg, and why she can���t settle in South Africa after her studies.

Where are you currently living, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I am currently living in Johannesburg, South Africa. I left Nigeria in 2026.

What made you move?

School. I came here for my postgraduate studies. I always knew I wanted to do my postgrad outside Nigeria, because I think the educational system at home is too limited.

Why South Africa?

I actually thought of the other locations, too. I was considering schools in the United Kingdom and even the United States until a certain orange man made me change my mind about that.

Then I began to consider opportunities in Asia���specifically China and South Korea���but at the time I was planning to apply to their schools, I received an offer from South Africa. It���s a full scholarship to the University of the Witwatersrand, one of Africa’s top universities. It���s a great opportunity, so I just dropped everything else.

What are your plans after school in South Africa? Do you plan to stay back?

No, I don’t plan to stay here. I actually haven’t thought deeply about what I���ll do after my studies because I still have one and a half years to go. Maybe I will apply for a fellowship, try the Global Talent visa route and move to the UK or somewhere else. But no, I don’t plan on staying here before these xenophobic people attack me.

You moved to South Africa at a very interesting time. The xenophobic unrest is starting up again. How do you feel about what is going on around you?

Yeah, it is a very interesting time to move. At the time I got the scholarship, things were calm. But then, a month before I moved, there were xenophobic attacks all over the news. It was really scary.

Thankfully, it���s quite calm around campus. But I have been seeing things and reading about people’s experiences, and it is really ugly. I���m trying to stay mostly indoors, except when I am going to school. I don’t have any business outside until the whole unrest calms down.

I���m sorry you have to live that way. What is your support system like? Have you made any friends?

I have not really made many friends. For support, I have a couple of family friends and some friends who moved here before me, so I reach out to them. I���m also making sure to join many communities.

Whenever anyone asks me to go anywhere, I almost always say yes. I���m really trying to enjoy my stay here. And I make sure I take enough pictures, because I want my gallery to be full of memories. Luckily, I���ve met some nice people who have volunteered to go out with me when I’m bored. I can just hit them up, and they are more than happy to accompany me. So yeah, it has been nice, and they have been helpful.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

Do you plan to visit Nigeria during your studies?

I would like to come visit, actually, but the travel costs are really high. We have winter break here from June to July. But I���d rather save the money and come home in December.

Makes sense. What is your daily routine like?

I wake up in the morning, do some home workouts, pray, and check my school emails to see if I have anything to do. I work on my assignments, watch movies, do some bulk cooking, eat, and sleep. Sometimes during the week, I also go to church. That���s basically it.

How are you finding the educational system? Is it what you expected?

Yeah, actually, it is that and more. They have a proper educational system and really good support for students. It is unlike where I am coming from, if you know what I mean. They think about the students, so a supervisor or lecturer can���t stress you unnecessarily. You have your own voice, you can dictate your pace, and they help you if you are not ready to do something at a particular moment.

You mentioned going out with some of the new people you are meeting. What kind of activities do you do for fun?

Well, it is not anything crazy. Sometimes it could just be a walk, or going to restaurants and events. We might just walk around school while they tell me random things about the country. I���m also avoiding going to certain places because of the whole xenophobia thing.

What would you say has been your best experience so far in South Africa?

It was on my first day here. I was stranded in school because I couldn���t find the way back to my apartment. So I walked up to someone and told her I was new and couldn���t find my way to where I was going. She just said, “Oh, follow me.” At that point, I had no choice but to follow her.

She led me some of the way, then gave me very accurate directions. I followed her directions and found myself right in front of my gate. It was really nice to be helped by a stranger like that. That first day was crazy, but that moment was memorable.

Do you have a favourite thing about South Africa?

No, because they are killing my people.

Right. And I think that probably answers what your least favourite thing about South Africa is too.

Yes. But one more thing is how cold it gets here. I���ve been drinking a lot of black tea to cope. But once you pour out a steaming cup, it gets cold within a minute.

On a scale of one to ten, how happy would you say you are in South Africa?

I���ll say an eight.

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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Bambs (31) funded her relocation to the UK on a corper’s salary. In this story, she shares how her determination to practice nursing in a working environment saw her submit 20 applications a day and endure hundreds of rejections until she achieved her dream. She also shares the culture shocks she experienced in the UK, the best and worst parts of life abroad.

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

I live in the United Kingdom (UK). I left Nigeria in 2021, towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What inspired you to leave Nigeria?

To be honest, I had always wanted to leave. Growing up, I was drawn to healthcare and wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. But I quickly noticed a huge gap between what our nursing textbooks taught and the reality in Nigerian hospitals. That was when I realised I could not practice in Nigeria.

What do you mean?

For instance, textbooks teach you to use a defibrillator on a patient in cardiac arrest. Yet, most Nigerian hospitals���at least the ones I worked in���did not even have one, which is wild. My main motivation was simply wanting to practice nursing the proper way. After university, I completed my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and immediately began my relocations process.

That is wild. How would you describe your working experience in Nigeria?

It gave me a solid foundation. Working in Nigeria taught me resilience, empathy, and how to perform under intense pressure. Nigerian healthcare workers do their absolute best, even when patients do not appreciate how far we go for them.

You could have a malnourished baby at the brink of death, and doctors and nurses will rally to save that child despite a lack of resources, poor infrastructure, and parents who cannot afford to pay. We do everything to give that child a chance at life, yet these efforts go unnoticed. Still, it taught me how to maximise the smallest resources to achieve the greatest good.

What was the relocation process like?

It was long and expensive, and I could barely afford it at the time. I had to work for a bit to save up, slowly taking the required exams and paying the processing fees.

I registered with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and sat for my Computer-Based Test (CBT) in October. After that, I began job hunting. I aimed for 20 applications a day because I was that desperate to leave.

Throughout November, my routine after work was to shower, open my laptop, and apply for roles. Some days I submitted 20 applications, other days 30. Every Monday morning, I���d check my email and see a long list of rejections. I refused to let that discourage me because I knew I would make it. Whenever a rejection came, I reviewed my application, did some research, and refined my next attempt.

Out of hundreds of applications, I landed about ten interviews in December. I remember having   to take an interview while at work; I asked my colleagues to cover for me for 30 minutes while I took it in the toilet.

By January, those interviews turned into four job offers. I weighed the pay, location, and cost of living before choosing. They wanted me to resume in March, but I deferred it to April to spend time with my family. I quit my job in February and spent three weeks at home. The day I left, my mum and sister cried; it was an emotionally heavy moment.

It must have been. What was it like when you arrived in the UK?

There was a huge demand for migrant nurses in the UK at that time, so the hospital was recruiting a lot of nurses from Nigeria. They booked our flights, so we arrived as a cohort of Nigerian nurses. The UK was still under lockdown, so we had to be isolated for ten days in accommodation provided by the hospital. It was April, and I vividly remember how cold it felt that first day. I also struggled with the British accent; it felt like everyone spoke too fast.

Any culture shocks?

Yes. On our first day, we reached our accommodation around 4:00 PM. I was so exhausted, I went straight to sleep. When I woke up at 8:00 PM, it was still bright outside. I thought I had slept for 12 hours before I checked the time and realised that during the summer, the days are much longer here.

I constantly charged my phone out of the habitual fear of power outages in Nigeria; it took me some time to stop. I also struggled getting used to how the bus system works.

Then there was the food. I don’t like English food. I initially lived in a town without African stores, so I had to endure it. Eventually, I discovered other options like Asian and Mediterranean food.

Another shock was summer fashion. People wear very little clothing���short skirts, shorts, and some men even walk around shirtless. Now I have started doing that too; in the summer, my legs are out.

Religion is also viewed differently here. It is treated as deeply personal, and you cannot be overt about it or impose it on others. It���s not like Nigeria, where you even have morning devotions at work.

Then there���s racism. Some people will literally cross the street to avoid walking near you because you are Black. You face differential treatment even at work. You only begin to understand these dynamics after living here for a while. I initially chalked it up to being new until I saw newly hired white colleagues receive completely different treatment. That is when it hits you: “Oh, it’s because I am Black.”

But you ultimately shrug it off and keep moving forward because you remember the sacrifices it took to get here.

How do you deal with racism?

I have learned to understand how the system works and use it to my advantage. When a patient was once racist to me, I informed my superior, who instructed me to file a report. The system provides real support for these issues, and the police can even get involved in some cases. Now, when it happens, I stand up for myself and use those safeguards the system provides to protect myself.

How do you feel about the wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric in UK politics?

It is deeply unsettling. Currently, after an asylum seeker stabbed someone. Last year, large anti-immigrant marches were organised by people demanding that foreigners leave. I was terrified at the time, and my family constantly checked on me. But there is little we can do besides pray and trust in God.

Do you feel your Nigerian education and work experience prepared you for the UK?

Yes. Honestly, Nigeria’s educational system is highly robust. I see newly qualified nurses from UK universities, and some of them don���t know anything. I often have to teach them. Seeing how easily it has been for me makes me incredibly grateful for my training back home.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

Have you been back to Nigeria since you moved?

Yes, I visited in 2023. I also hope to travel back this year. I have already asked for my leave so I can be in Nigeria for Detty December.

Nice. Do you see yourself returning to Nigeria permanently in the future?

I recently discussed this with a Zimbabwean colleague who is nearing retirement. She owns properties in Zimbabwe and plans to retire there for a comfortable life, which is wonderful. I used to share that dream, but with how things are going in Nigeria, I���m not sure it would be a wise decision. But if things change for the better, why not?

I���m also considering moving to the United States (US). I���ve already passed the US nursing exams. In the UK, professional growth for nurses is a bit limited; you eventually hit a ceiling and plateau. In America, growth is astronomical, and nurses earn a lot more. I���m just not sure of the exact timeline yet. Relocating from Nigeria was stressful, and I am not entirely ready to repeat that process just yet, but I will move whenever the time is right.

What is your support system like in the UK?

First is my friends. Most of them are fellow nurses who arrived at different times. Since we don���t have family here, we lean on each other. My best friend and I moved at the same time���she flew from Lagos, and I flew from Abuja. We isolated together, learned together, and worked in the same hospital before some of us moved to other places. We take annual trips together, and every December, we have a potluck where we eat, party, and cry together.

My church has also been an incredible pillar. They organise forums that offer guidance on surviving in the UK. My pastor is highly approachable; you can call him at any time, even at midnight, and he will listen.

Of course, there���s my family back home too. Whenever I struggled initially, I would call my parents and cry. Settling in was tough; I cannot tell you how much I cried when I first came into this country. But my family���s support kept me going.

It is great that you have that support. What is your least favourite thing about the UK?

The winter. Oh my god! I hate the winter. If I make enough money, I will start leaving the UK from December through March to stay in Nigeria, and only work here from April to October.

What about your favourite things?

I love the economic reward system here. If you work, you will make money. In Nigeria, your salary is never enough, and even if you work extra shifts, it won���t make much difference.

I also love how safe it is. I live far from London, so when I go there for concerts, I often return home around 2:00 AM. I can walk from the train station to my house without worrying about being harassed. I could never dare do that where I grew up in Nigeria.

Travel is also incredibly affordable. If I want a weekend trip to Italy and have just 贈300, I can easily do it. I can fly out, chill for a few days, and come back. And 贈300 isn���t even a lot of money; I can make that in a single shift. It���s not like Nigeria, where going abroad is like a big flex; here, it is just a normal thing to do.

Do you travel frequently?

Quite a bit. I have visited Albania, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Montenegro, Greece, and Rome. I am also heading to Monaco later this year. Mind you, I had planned that trip long before the whole Monaco craze that’s going on right now.

What has been your favourite trip so far?

Most have been fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed my recent vacation to Egypt with a close friend. Mykonos was also incredibly relaxing; Greece is beautiful. I had the best pizza I have ever tasted in Rome. I went paragliding for the first time in Albania. I was just reciting Psalm 91 in the air because I thought I was going to die, but it was amazing.

Do you have a least favourite trip?

I���ll say Morocco. We���d booked a resort in Agadir for my friend’s birthday, but we missed our direct flight. So we got a flight to Marrakesh and had to take a five-hour drive to Agadir. There were six girls in a car with a driver who only spoke Arabic and a bit of French. I used my limited French to communicate with.

The route had a lot of police checkpoints, and we drove past three horrific accidents with dead bodies on the road. We were absolutely terrified and spent the entire ride praying.

Despite the scary start, the vacation turned out to be incredible. I loved the resort, rode a camel, and even tried quad biking for the first time. It was a wonderful experience, but that first day was really scary.

What has been your worst experience in the UK?

Honestly, nothing here compares to the experiences from Nigeria. Growing up in Delta State, I saw a lot if you get what I mean.

My worst moments in the UK have been at work when I���ve lost patients. Working in intensive care means dealing with patients on the verge of death. I do everything I can to save them, but sometimes they don���t make it. It is incredibly tough, especially when you have cared for them for a long time and have to comfort their grieving families. But it is part of the job.

What about your best experience?

I cannot pinpoint a single moment, but the good experiences definitely outweigh the bad.

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

I would say an eight. Life is good here, and I always encourage people to move if they can. It is a great country.

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).

Kelechi (21) left Nigeria at the end of 2023 on a fully funded scholarship to study medicine in Moscow, only for it to be discontinued. In this story, he compares life in Russia to Nigeria and shares how he makes ends meet after being left financially stranded by the Nigerian government.

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

I live in Moscow, Russia. I left Nigeria in late 2023.

What inspired you to leave Nigeria?

Honestly, I didn���t have a particularly strong reason to leave. I just got an opportunity, and I took it. I had already gained admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to study medicine, but then the scholarship for Russia came through, and I chose that instead.

How did you get the scholarship?

It was a government scholarship���a bilateral education agreement between Russia and Nigeria. Russia covered the tuition in full, and Nigeria was supposed to handle transport and upkeep for the duration of the studies.

However, the programme is officially dead as of 2026. They’ve cancelled it and issued saying they won’t be accepting new applicants. Those of us already here can finish our studies since the Russian government handles tuition. But the stipends for upkeep from Nigeria have basically stopped.

They picked students from each state, and selection was based on their grades in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

So, what were the first few weeks in Moscow like?

The weather hit me hard. I wasn���t prepared for it. We were warned that the temperature went to negative figures, but knowing and feeling are two completely different things. It was my first time seeing snow, my first time experiencing that kind of cold. It was almost painful, but eventually, I got used to it.

The other thing was how individualistic everyone is. People just mind their business. They respect each other’s space and just get on with their lives. Coming from Nigeria, that’s very different.

What about the language? How did you get around that?

So, the government actually accounted for that. None of us spoke Russian, so we were enrolled in a mandatory one-year Russian language programme. Nine months of actual instruction and three months of summer break. It was after that year of Russian studies that we started our first year of university. It wasn’t optional; you had to do it. I speak above-average Russian now.

When you eventually started university, what surprised you most about the academic environment?

The lecturers, honestly. Some of them actually love their jobs, and you can tell. It’s not hard to reach them; their email addresses and contact information are accessible, and they’re willing to help. The resources are also on another level compared to what I expected coming from Nigeria.

In Nigeria, access to a cadaver is a big deal���like a once-in-a-blue-moon situation. In Russia, we have cadavers, 3D life-size anatomical models, robotic parts, AI-assisted abdominal models, and photo-realistic brain models. When we studied rat anatomy, every single student got their own rat brain to dissect. Every student got their own histology specimen. In physiology, we had Electrocardiogram (ECG) machines and heart rate monitors that everyone could use.

The class sizes are capped at 20 students, so there’s always enough space and resources for everyone.

When are you expected to graduate?

If things go according to plan, 2029.

Does the scholarship have any academic performance requirements?

Yes. Your GPA cannot fall below 3.0. The Russian government is paying your tuition, and it���s not cheap; it is about ���20 million. So if your grades drop below that point, you get expelled and lose your student visa. You’ll need to leave the country.

Are your classes taught in Russian or English?

I study in Russian, but some students in the programme study in English; it depends on what you choose.

Let’s talk about money. What did the Nigerian government stipend look like?

The programme had been running for over 15 to 20 years. I heard from people who have been here for a while that they originally got a consistent $500 monthly stipend. But as Nigeria’s economic situation worsened, the payments began to decline.

By the time I got there, they’d unofficially cut it by about 60 per cent, and it wasn’t just the amount; the frequency dropped too. Instead of monthly, they were paying every six months, every eight months, sometimes once a year, and even then, it was almost never in full.

In my first year, they paid us in full, the stipends for all twelve months, all at once. After that, it was less and less frequent until they stopped altogether. At this point in 2026, I’m not expecting any more payments; that’s just my honest read of the situation.

Is $500 a month even enough to live on in Moscow?

If they paid it properly and consistently, it would be doable. You’d still have to be very disciplined with money, though. You can’t be careless, eating at restaurants every week, but it’s manageable for a student.

The problem is that as they reduced it and made it irregular, it became nowhere near enough. It began forcing people to take on extra work to make ends meet, which in turn started affecting academics, which is the main reason we���re here.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

That���s so sad. So, what kind of jobs were students taking on?

Restaurant jobs, delivery, call centres, your typical part-time stuff. But the one I’d say is the most useful, and the most viable for Nigerians specifically, is teaching English. Almost every Nigerian can teach English, and if you pick up enough Russian to communicate, you can teach English to Russian kids and actually make money. That���s what has worked for me here.

And how do you balance that with medical school?

The balance is almost non-existent. Medical school doesn’t give you that kind of breathing room. Some people work just enough hours to cover the minimum for the week and keep their grades intact. Others sacrifice academic performance to work more and be more comfortable. It’s a choice nobody should have to make, but that’s where we see ourselves now.

Has the Russia-Ukraine war had any impact on your daily life in Moscow?

Not really. The war is in Ukraine; it’s not something you feel in Moscow the way people outside might imagine. The scholarship programme itself didn’t end because of the war. Other countries that also have issues with Russia are still bringing students in. It���s purely Nigeria’s situation that ended our programme.

The one thing I’ll say is that the cost of living has gone up a bit. Meat, for example, used to be really, really cheap here; now it has tripled in cost. Milk too. But these are not life-threatening changes. We can still afford to eat. It���s just not as cheap as it used to be.

Have you experienced racism in these three years?

I feel like racism is non-existent in Moscow. I think bias exists everywhere and in everyone. But Moscow is a proper metropolis. There are enough Africans who have lived here long enough that the locals are used to having us around. You’re not a new thing; you’re on the same level as everyone else, and that’s how they treat you.

The only time you feel any kind of friction is when there’s a language barrier. If you can’t communicate with someone as well as they’d like, that creates awkwardness. But that’s a language issue, not a race issue.

After your studies, do you see yourself coming back to Nigeria?

Of course. Nigeria is my country. I love home. After I graduate, I want to come back and contribute by using what I’ve learned here to do something useful back home. But that doesn’t mean I’m closing the door on Russia either.

If I can get documents like the , which is like a permanent residence card, that would let me move freely between both countries, I’d want to do that. I’m keeping all my options open. But home is home.

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

I’d say a nine. It’s a modern city with working infrastructure and an incredible transport system. If the train app says you’ll be somewhere in two hours, you’ll be there in exactly two hours. It has everything: good education, flexible work, opportunities, and new experiences. The only reason it’s not a ten is the war.

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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Elizabeth (33) has moved between Nigeria and the UK throughout her life. In this story, she shares some truly scary experiences she has had in Nigeria, explains why she can’t wait to leave the UK, and opens up about what it’s like connecting with Nigerians who see her as an outsider. 

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

I live in the United Kingdom, and I left Nigeria in 2019. I���ve moved between both countries throughout my life.

Tell me more about that.

I was born in the UK and grew up here, but I went to Nigeria for three years of boarding school, a month of A-levels, and then again for university.

Going to Nigeria for medical school was a way to connect with my culture. I had worked with Nigerian doctors in the past, and they were just built differently. They had incredible confidence and grit; they were resilient in a way that other doctors were not. I wanted to know how they were trained so I could be like them, because they truly inspired me. So, I chose a Nigerian university.

What inspired you to move back to the UK?

I wanted to stay in Nigeria for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. I was very into public health at the time, and wanted a chance to work in that area for service.

But my parents said, “Absolutely not.” They actually bought the tickets themselves and sent them to me. They insisted that Nigeria was not safe and that I had to come back home.

Let���s talk about life in Nigeria. What was it like coming here for school?

It was a rollercoaster. It���s the type of experience that makes you realise you���re not exactly like the people you think are yours. I came back believing I���m Nigerian and in my country, but people were very much giving me the vibe that I was not one of them. To them, I was ���oyinbo.���

With time, I learned the mannerisms and the cultural nuances that make Nigerians, and things got better. For example, learning that “come and eat” is just something people say even when they don’t really want you to eat with them.

But medical school was a different experience altogether. It was very challenging by itself.

How so?

Sometimes your colleagues, senior students, lecturers, and doctors can have issues with you for intangible reasons. For example, when I was working in a state hospital in Nigeria before I left, a superior who was two levels above me at the time just really hated my accent.

I used to put on an intentional Nigerian accent in my attempt to blend in, but there were certain words that I hadn’t yet learned to say in a Nigerian accent, so my original British accent would peek through at times. Because of that, she used to make life horrible for no reason, just assuming I thought I was better than her. I would wonder, “How can I think I am better than you? You are my senior.” She just had it out for me and made sure I suffered whenever I worked with her, which was all the time.

I had to accept that people just wouldn���t like me because of their own preconceived notions of what I represent, even if I don’t actually possess those traits. It was a similar thing in boarding school, but it was worse there because they could physically beat you, and they did beat me a lot.

On the other hand, some people also just adore you because you came from abroad. They would talk to me just to hear my voice and accent. They didn’t really care about what I was saying; they just wanted to hear what I sounded like. For them, I was their first experience of someone from overseas.

So it was a mix of both���one half idolised me and the other half hated me. I never knew which it would be when I met anyone new.

How did that make you feel at the time?

It was hard. After completing Junior Secondary School, I went back to the UK. I remember deciding I was never going to go back to Nigeria again. I was completely over it. The experience was much harder than I expected because growing up in the UK, no one had ever disliked me for no reason.

But it made me stronger, because by the time I came back to Nigeria for university and encountered it again, I was a bit more prepared. I just didn’t like the concept of being treated as an outsider in a place where I’m supposed to belong. It was difficult because the whole point of going to university there was to connect with my Nigerian culture and not be an outsider.

Have you been back to Nigeria since you left in 2019?

Yes, I have been back for holidays, weddings, and to see friends.

What has been your best holiday experience in Nigeria so far?

I���ll say last year. I went to Abuja for a wedding, and then I went to Lagos and Ibadan, all within about 10 or 11 days. I got to see many places that I hadn’t seen in a long time, and visited spots I had only ever heard about on podcasts. The restaurants were good, the gym was great, and everything was fun.

Since it was a short burst of ten days and we kept moving across different states, the novelty stayed very much alive. If I had stayed longer, I probably would have started experiencing the typical fatigue that comes with the travel, transport, and infrastructure issues.

Do you see yourself settling permanently in Nigeria in the future, or is the UK home for you?

I hope to retire in Nigeria down the line, maybe when I���m like 70 years old. Of course, that���s based on the hope that the country doesn’t get worse by that time.

What has been your worst experience in Nigeria?

There are so many, but I can talk about the top ones.

Wow. Okay, go ahead.

So, first was a scary police encounter. I was in an Uber ride, coming back from the Island to the Mainland late at night, around 2:00 a.m. The police stopped the car near the Lekki Phase 1 gate and ordered us to get out of the vehicle.

My heart was in my mouth because you hear all these stories of what has happened to other people in those exact circumstances with the police. They didn’t physically harm us; they just made us get down and asked, “What do you have for us?” But the fact that they ordered us out of the car entirely made it much scarier than a regular checkpoint stop.

That���s always scary. Glad to hear it wasn���t worse than that.

Thanks. Next was a near-death experience at Tarkwa Bay. At the jetty, the boat wasn���t secured properly, so as I stepped off, it slipped, and I fell into the water. There was maybe only an inch between my head and the concrete wall as I tumbled all the way into the water. It was very close to being a completely different story.

Thank God I can swim. I swam up, and people from the shoreline and staff members ran over to pull me up because the jetty wall is quite high, and it���s hard to get out on your own. I still proceeded to do what I went to Tarkwa Bay to do before going home, because I couldn’t come all that way for nothing.

What could possibly top a near-death experience, though?

Getting sexually harassed by a senior doctor?

It was my very first night in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at the hospital where I was working. In between operations, while waiting for the nurses to prepare the next patient for the theatre, the senior doctor asked me to follow him to a separate location to copy some case notes.

We got into the room, and he locked the door behind us. When I asked what was going on, he said, “You know why we are here.” I replied that I only thought we came to write notes. Then he said something that infuriates me to this day: “You���re from London na.” As if there is some automatic correlation between being from London and being promiscuous.

I demanded he let me out or I would scream. He still wouldn���t, so I began counting down, “Three, two…” and then he opened the door. I was so afraid because he was a senior doctor who had been there for years; I thought people wouldn’t believe me.

I chose not to file a formal report because I���d experienced something similar before during my one month in a Nigerian A-level school. The authorities didn���t believe me over the maths teacher who���d worked there for years. Anyway, I told my fellow house officers. They were males, and they agreed to protect me by immediately offering themselves instead whenever that specific doctor tried to pick me as his house officer. Thankfully, about a week later, he was transferred out of the team entirely.

Sorry you had to go through that.

Thanks.

What about your best experiences in Nigeria?

I���ll start with winning the inter-house sports events at my secondary school three years in a row. I was a sprinter���I ran the 100m, 400m, and 800m���and I did cheerleading as well. Graduating from medical school was also a major happy moment.

It was also great randomly running into celebrities in Lagos. You could just attend a launch party for a drink brand and find yourself taking pictures on stage with celebrities.

What are your favourite and least favourite things about Nigeria?

My least favourite thing is the sense of helplessness within the country. There is a lot of helplessness about what can be done to improve or change things; people are demoralised, and while I can’t completely blame them, it is unpleasant to experience.

My favourite thing is the exact opposite side of that same coin: when given the right opportunity to succeed, Nigerians do incredibly well. It is very inspiring. That was the main reason I went there for university in the first place���seeing Nigerians who were doing super well globally. It is interesting how a Nigerian in one context can be so inspiring, yet in another context, the environment can be deeply demoralising.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

Let���s talk about life in the UK now. What is your typical routine?

My routine is quite simple. I get up, pray, go to the gym, come back, and get my baby ready for nursery. I take him to nursery, or my mum-in-law helps drop him off, and then I go to work.

When I get back from work, I pick him up and handle his evening routine. Then I take care of any additional administrative tasks that come home with me from work. On some evenings, I go to church for choir practice, and on others, I hang out with friends. I don’t go out on weekday nights, but I do on weekends.

What do you do for fun in the UK?

I schedule hangouts with my friends. We plan activities like pottery, painting, arts and crafts, or anything novel to us. During the summer, there are a lot more events, so we go to concerts, parks, and swim.

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

My least favourite thing is the tax. I pay 40% tax. I understand that it���s a necessary evil, but it���s still a lot.

My favourite thing is having most of my family here. I have my husband, my son, my parents, my grandparents, and my cousins, all here with me.

There���s a growing wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK. What has that been like for you?

It is very sad to see because the UK depends heavily on immigrants to function across every single sector. It hasn’t affected me directly, but I do academic research on this topic regarding International Medical Graduates (IMGs). My research looks into how they are disadvantaged by the exam culture in the UK because they weren’t brought up in the same system, leading to higher failure rates.

On a societal level, it is very worrying. In 2024, the year I gave birth, there were major riots across the country with rioters trying to harm people of colour. The police put it down, but the sentiment is still there; there was another march just a few weeks ago. It makes you worry about who you are working next to and whether they are online, writing hate comments.

The political rhetoric claims immigrants are taking all the jobs, but it���s not true. For example, I have taken part in hiring processes here. By law, we have to assess all the British applicants first, and we can only look at international candidates with visas if those local options are exhausted. The right-wing media simply stoked the sentiment because it is an easy way to divide the country.

Have you encountered racism on a personal level?

The last time someone was overtly racist to me was on a bus in London, which is ironic given how multicultural London is. I had my headphones in, so thank God I didn’t hear the exact words she was saying, but it was an elderly white lady. I was sitting in a regular, non-priority seat, and she had plenty of options to sit elsewhere.

Instead, she stood right in front of me and demanded I give up my seat. I just kept playing my music and watched her face squeeze as her mouth moved. The passengers around us looked deeply offended by the horrible profanities she was spewing, but nobody stopped her. That is how the UK is���unless it is outright physical violence, people generally mind their own business.

I chose not to let it ruin my day or get offended, so I just kept my headphones in and remained seated until my journey ended. It didn’t make a difference to me.

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

I���ll say seven. I still want a better quality of life than I can get here. So, I am actually hoping to leave the UK very soon. With the medical work that I do, I can get paid a lot more and live a much happier life in places like Australia, Canada, or even the United States. The time is coming for me to move somewhere else, and to be honest, I can’t wait.

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).

Success* (28) is a medical doctor who moved to the UK to escape insecurity and poor salaries. In this story, she shares her experiences with the culture shocks of British medical practice, racist microaggressions and why she finds herself praying less often since relocating to the UK.

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

I live in the United Kingdom (UK), and I left Nigeria in early 2025.

What inspired you to leave Nigeria for the UK?

Everything. But let me start with the insecurity. I grew up in the northern part of Nigeria, so I saw firsthand the terrorism and religious intolerance. When I was young, there were times we had to be searched with bomb detectors before we entered church after a church had been bombed on Christmas Day.

Another catalyst for my relocation was the salaries for doctors in Nigeria���it���s just too little. When I practised in Nigeria, I earned ���300,000 per month, and that was barely enough to cover my basic needs. In addition to the reason I mentioned, I had always wanted to leave Nigeria as early as my primary and secondary school days. I got a peek at what life was like abroad from friends who vacationed abroad with their parents. 

It���s the reason I studied medicine. I knew that healthcare workers were highly sought after in many parts of the world. So I knew it would give me a good chance to leave Nigeria.

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

Working in a private hospital, I was making about ���300,000 a month. I was only able to afford a shared apartment with that. But it was a terrible experience. We only had electricity between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM. So I had this huge power bank that I���d charge at work and in church on Sundays. That was how my life was in Nigeria; it wasn���t easy.

As you said, doctors are in high demand in many parts of the world. Why did you choose the UK?

I chose the UK because the migration pathway for other countries is quite expensive. Though we are highly sought after, the process doesn’t come cheap. The UK is relatively cheaper than other countries, but it still cost me about ���7 million to migrate. That was because I passed my exams on my first try. Some people have had to write the exams twice or thrice, and that increases the cost.

意鞄艶油��is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.��Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.��.

There are very few doctors in Nigeria, currently about one doctor for every 10,000 patients. Do you have any feelings about that?

It does bother me because I’m always thinking about my family back home. What happens when my parents or other loved ones need medical care? Here, people can walk into the hospital almost dead, and we���re able to get very good outcomes because we have all the equipment we need. It makes me think back to my time in Nigeria, where we didn’t have the equipment, and we didn’t even have enough hands. It makes me worry about my family, but I can only put them in my prayers.

I also think about the times when I was back home in Nigeria, when I couldn’t really take care of my basic needs���it was difficult for me to get a place, having a car could only be a dream, and I was basically living off my parents. I think about all of these things.

With the way the Nigerian government is running the country, I don’t think you can blame doctors for leaving. I don’t feel guilty because I know that the Nigerian political system did not create a conducive environment for us to stay.

Doctors spend a lot of time in school, go through a lot of difficult exams, and a lot of money is spent training us. But when we graduate, we get paltry salaries, worth next to nothing. A lot of doctors have to work in multiple hospitals  to make ends meet. I did that too: I would work a morning shift in one hospital and then a night shift somewhere else. That���s the reality for many doctors in Nigeria.

Yes, Nigeria needs doctors. But leaving is the best option at this time. We want a good life for ourselves and our families. We want safe lives too. I���ve heard of doctors getting kidnapped back in Nigeria. It’s really crazy.

How has life been in the UK so far?

My life is much better compared to when I was in Nigeria. First of all, I have a better work-life balance. I don���t have to work two jobs just to make ends meet. There���s a 48-hour cap every week. You are not meant to work more than 48 hours a week. So this means  I have time to do other things with my life.

I can afford my own place. I have savings and investments now, unlike in Nigeria, where I couldn���t afford to do either.

Food here is actually cheaper than back home. When I was in Nigeria, I always had anxiety about going to the market because the spaghetti I bought for  ���500 this month could become ���1,000 the next. But here, prices are very stable. I think my life here is better. I can support my family more, and I have a better community. Overall, it���s just better.

What���s your support system like?

I don’t have any nuclear family here; I’m the first person in my nuclear family to actually leave Nigeria. I have some members of my extended family here, but we are not so close.

But I have my church members. I also go to the gym, and I���ve made friends there. I have friends at work too. I know some people say not to make friends at work, but I���ve had a different experience. I have really nice coworkers.

Now my support system is actually growing. I’m getting to know more people and becoming acquainted with my environment.

Are these friends Nigerian?

The majority of friends I���ve made here are Nigerians or fellow Africans. It���s just easier to make friends with people you share similar cultures and backgrounds with. For example, the town I live in is white-dominated, so once you see a Nigerian, there’s this internal joy that you feel. It’s like any Nigerian at your workplace is automatically your friend.

I think if you���re able to have non-African friends, that means you both must have a very strong bond for that friendship to actually work out, because you���ll have very little in common.

Have you felt any sort of discrimination or racism since you arrived in the UK?

I have, but it���s nothing overt. What I feel at times is what we call microaggressions. An example was when I was looking for a house; landlords would see my name,, noticed that it doesn���t sound British, so they wouldn’t call me for house viewings.

But at work, I don’t feel any form of racism from my colleagues or from patients. The National Health Service (NHS) has a strict policy against racism. If any patient is racist to any doctor, that patient can be ordered out of the hospital, as long as they don’t have an emergency condition. So patients are cautious about what they say.

It���s the same with colleagues from other nationalities who are non-African. I notice that whenever they are talking to me, they try to carefully pick their words because they don’t want to come off as offensive. I think that can also affect making friends with non-Africans, because they���re always second-guessing everything they say. That doesn���t allow for real connections to form.

What about the growing anti-immigrant rhetoric? Does that make you feel uncomfortable?

It has created a bit of uncertainty because the policies are constantly changing, and you don’t know which policy they will come up with next, or how it will affect you. The  Prioritisation Act, for instance, basically says that UK-trained doctors have to be considered for jobs first before doctors from other countries. This was passed after I came here.

I���ve heard British doctors at work talking about how immigrant doctors are taking their jobs. Initially, when I came to the UK, I was always telling people that I got my job from Nigeria. But I noticed they were not really happy to hear that. It was more like, “Okay, you’re one of the people who took our jobs from us.”

I felt guilty about it for a very long time. But I had to deal with the guilt and tell myself that I got the job because I deserved it, and I worked for it. With time, I stopped telling people how I got my job. I only mention it to people I really feel comfortable with.

But one thing I always say is that there’s love at home. So if they say that I can’t stay here anymore, I’ll go back to my country.

Apart from working, what activities do you get up to in the UK?

I’m kind of an extrovert, so I spend more time outside than at home. During my free time, I go to the gym. I’m also learning how to swim. I sing, so I’ve joined the choir in church. I love going to shows too. During the summer, there are usually events happening around, like Afrobeats concerts. I usually go for those kinds of things.

I visit my friends, and my friends come over to see me. I travel, and it’s safe. I���ve always loved travelling, but in Nigeria, I couldn’t really travel so much because of the insecurity and the accidents. But here, the roads are freer, and it’s safer, so I travel easily without any restrictions or any anxiety that something bad will happen to me.

I also use my free time to bulk cook. You can’t be late to work; there’s a very strong work ethic here. So when I’m not at work, a huge chunk of my time is spent preparing for my next period at work. I clean my house, iron my scrubs, and cook in bulk so that nothing delays me when I’m going to work the next day.

What culture shocks did you experience when you arrived?

They like queuing. There’s a queue for everything. There was a time when I first arrived, and I wanted to jump the queue with my normal Nigerian mentality, and someone confronted me about it.

Another thing is that everyone tries to be polite. Unlike in Nigeria, where people show their anger. For British people, even when they are really angry, they smile, and they try to be calm. Trying to unlearn that Nigerian directness so you don���t get labelled as aggressive is not easy.

It���s also the same at work. You have to learn how they communicate. In Nigeria, we have a direct way of communicating; you can tell people exactly what needs to be done. But you don’t want to look patriarchal in the UK, so there’s a way you try to use flowery words: “Oh, would you like to do this?��� ���Do you think it will be okay if you do this?”

Also, unlike in Nigeria, where you can gossip and make some jokes at work, you can’t just make any type of joke here because it may be offensive to the next person. I miss the laidback work culture that we have in Nigeria.

As for the accent, when I came here initially, it was difficult to hear what people were saying. In Nigeria, I used to believe I had a very good command of English, but when I came to the UK, I was taken aback by people asking me to repeat myself because they couldn’t understand me. At times, I have to spell a word to make them understand my pronunciation of it. For someone who learned English as a first language back home, that was a big shock.

Definitely. How did you manage?

I try to speak as slowly as possible so that people can hear me, and I don’t get offended if someone tells me to repeat what I say. Also, I try to demonstrate. When I’m conversing with a patient, if I want to talk about any eye pain, I may just point to my eye so that they can easily get what I mean. I also avoid using big words or complex grammar and just try to use the simplest English possible, and that actually helps.

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

I’ll say 20.

Wow.

I feel that all the things Nigeria took away from me in 27 years cannot be gotten back in one year. It’s a journey, but so far so good.

I am happier in the UK. I’m less anxious, and I’m praying less. I know people might see that as a bad thing, but in Nigeria, most of my prayers were built out of anxiety: “Let me have food to eat,” “As I’m going to work, may an okada not crush my leg,” “May I not be kidnapped,” “May I not have an accident.” All those kinds of things. I don���t have those anxieties anymore.

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