The Deception Of Living In The Diaspora.

By: Praise George

About 14 years ago I was on a flight from the UK to Lagos. I met a Nigerian man who had lived in the UK for 14 years. He had a very sad story to tell about his sojourn abroad.
Here’s what he told me.

He was a manager in a Nigerian Bank before he sold everything and travelled abroad. When he got there he placed his kids in schools and his wife trained for nursing.
He could not get a job like what he had in Nigeria. He made do with the jobs he could find.

After 14 years he decided that he had had enough with the UK. He could not rise above a certain level, no matter how hard he worked.
He found out that all his peers he left behind in Nigeria had become top level managers and were earning far more than he did in the UK

In all the time he was in the UK, he didn’t own his own property. He had a mortgage which would be paid off in 10 more years. But his friends in Nigeria had their own houses and were not in debt to anyone.

He said the only benefit he had from living abroad was that his kids had a good education and had good careers ahead of them. But after critically assessing his sojourn in the UK, he said it was a waste of his life. If he had stayed in Nigeria he could have done better.

That man does not represent the experience of everyone who migrated to the UK. There are many success stories of migrants who made something awesome out of their lives. However, there are also many sad stories hidden behind the shadows of the good ones.

The reason why many people living in diaspora do not want to return to their countries is not because their country of residence abroad is better than their nation in Africa. I discovered that the reason why many cannot return is because of shame.

I met a Nigerian in the US who has lived there for 20 years. He confessed to me that he posts nice pictures on his social media pages to make people back home think he’s successful. He said he has nothing. He is up to his eyeballs in debt. He is a slave to the system.

So many people are too ashamed to return home. Most Africans are materialistic and the first thing they want to see is what you have accumulated and how much money you have made abroad. People will mock you if you return to your home country to start hustling again.

I see people living useless lives abroad. They post nice pictures on socials, they borrow money to travel back to their country for one month, then they are back to the grind to repay their loan
80% of the people who tell you they are successful abroad are living in debt.

As a Nigerian I am not used to debt. What I cannot afford, I avoid.
I don’t care what cars my neighbours drive, I refuse to go into debt to sustain my lifestyle.
I am pragmatic. The day I realise I no longer enjoy my stay abroad, I will move back to Africa.

Many influencers on socials will not tell you that many people are suffering abroad. I met a man in the UK who owns houses in Lekki but he has three jobs in the UK. He is a big man in Nigeria but a slave abroad. He will work himself to an early grave.
That is a detestable life.

Africans are materialistic. We don’t consider things like purpose and happiness as indices of measurement of a good life. We have a Pharaonic and paganistic philosophy of life which makes us live to acquire material things, even if we have to suffer and live a worthless life to own them.

The purpose of your life should be more than showing off your houses and possessions.
Your life should be more than making posts on Instagram to make your peers envious.
Live a life of purpose.
Live life on your own terms.
Live for yourself, not to impress people.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WhatsApp