BUSINESS DAY
Many Nigerians see relocation to other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States as an achievement that is worth celebrating.
For some of those who left the country in pursuit of a better life, their experiences are fraught with struggles.
Giselle Okorie, a US-based Nigerian, said relocating abroad opened her eyes to the harsh reality of surviving in a foreign land foreign.
“Upon my arrival, it almost felt like I had made it in life. It wasn’t until the reality of paying bills and standing up for oneself kicked in. No one advises you to brace yourself for the amount of hard work you have to put in to make ends meet,” she said.
Okorie lamented the tuition international students are required to pay. “My research shows we get charged at least 2.5 times what people born here are charged,” she said.
She complained that “racism is very real”, saying: “The racism didn’t hurt till it started to hurt. People are of the extreme, they either overreact or underreact. I wouldn’t say I haven’t had good times; they just come at a price.”
She added: “The price of working endless shifts so you can afford to be where you need to be. Time waits for no one, being punctual is part of the country’s system. So far, I would say I have managed to make those ends meet but at the cost of working while going to school, to me that counts as a success but at the price of me coming back home every day and feeling extremely tired.
“Some days, I get home so tired I fall asleep with my shoes on. Meanwhile, most people my age (23) back home aren’t stressed as much because our culture permits us to relax at our parents’ house and not be bothered by anything.”
