Naija to the world!

This past week seemed to have a theme: Leaving Nigeria. I found myself reading about, listening to, or in conversation on this theme quite a few times in the course of the week. The context of many of my interactions with the topic were more action oriented, “I am in the process of leaving” and process related, “This is how to leave” than they were explorative, “Should I leave?”. Quite frankly, there are no surprises there. Most young people living in this country today, who are working hard to build a life and a future for themselves knows this: No amount of “success” you achieve here will insulate you from the consequences of the dysfunctional system that is Nigeria. Basically, if you want a chance at a decent life for your remaining years and for your children, you must leave. I came across the term multidimensional poverty a while back, and it basically considers poverty beyond dollar terms, think - infrastructural poverty, educational poverty, values poverty etc. What this means for a place like Nigeria is that regardless of your income, because of all the other “poverty indexes” this society has, we are all poor. Period. If you have to drive through potholes, travel abroad for healthcare, or pay for a special source of power, you are poor. This is why many are leaving.

We all know at least one person who’s left, maybe more, and the stories of culture shock that they may have shared with you  - like how there's a genuine value for people, how people are kind and how nepa doesn't take light. lol - are a testament to why many continue to leave. Now, moving to a new country, often faraway, with family or alone is not an easy feat and it’s unlikely to be a rosy experience. The costs are high but the benefits - even just in peace of mind - are well worth it.

(By this point, there’s clearly no confusion as to my position on this matter. lol.)

There are varying reasons for leaving, some people leave to grow their income potential, some leave to be close to family, yet others leave to enjoy the social benefits of the destination (while contributing to it of course) - from healthcare to education and security. However, as at today, leaving comes down to just one thing for me - access. For those who don’t know, I like to travel. I believe that the freedom to see the world is such a profound blessing and that every human on earth should have the opportunity to do so without completing an obstacle course. That said, our Nigerian passport assures you that obstacle courses are your destiny if you insist on exploring this beautiful earth that God has blessed us with. This obstacle course life is not what I want for myself or my kids, especially as I did not have a choice in the matter. Therefore, I am team, Get-a-passport-that-frees-you-from-obstacle-courses. Shikena.

An added incentive to leave is this heatwave that’s currently sweeping through the land. Who have we offended nitori Olorun! 😰

What are your thoughts on the issue? Are you leaving or staying? Why?

Let me know in the comments. 😘

PS: If you’re considering your options for leaving, here are some resources to help - UK point system policy paper, same for Germany (You know I got you 😉)

PPS: Apologies this week’s blog is out late,  still getting in the rhythm of being consistent, but I have great support that’s helping make it happen regardless. All we need is a little push sometimes. So thank you Miss C. 😘