No where like home!

Mode4:
I have been thinking why the few peeps I know including some of my distant uncles who spent most of their years abroad came back to Nigeria to live when they became old. Is there something awkward about growing old overseas?

Even my sister in the US, has been telling me that once she gets old, she will come back to Nigeria to spend the remainder of her life. Folks abroad, what's really going on? Is there a harsh reality for the aged over there?

Western world or abroad like u put it, have a culture for old people that our Nigerian people don't fancy during old age.


Abroad, there are old people's homes or facilities where people retire to, and these facilities are usually boring and can quicken the death of a Nigerian bred man or woman.

Imagine being abandoned in a public facility where you won't see your children and grandchildren often or at all, won't attend umunna meetings to join in sharing marriage rice or bride price gifts, where u won't go to your childhood Church to listen to your native worship songs and showcase your newest wrapper or native wear


Imagine growing old in a cold facility without having some goat or chicken or cow or ram or any other domestic animal to bother about feeding? No kinsmen coming to greet you or gossip about Mama Halima's daughter that ran away with a man that didn't pay her bride price in full lolz



Imagine growing old without having people and servants calling you sir or ma and according you respect as someone who lived abroad and made money and even got some chiedtaincy title, mbanu, e no sweet my brother, home sweet home.

Imagine growing old aa as a rich man that made money abroad when young and cant be around a free environment you can mingle with people's wives and take over people's widows without much stress. Such man may die before his time lol.



Your home is wherever you grew up and had closest childhood friends you played in the sand with, every other friends you make after this period is conditional, transactional and situational.




Abroad is best for hustling to build a financially secured future when young but not a good place to retire at old age if you weren't born and bred abroad.

Loneliness.

Many of them went there to hustle with plans to return someday

Mode4:
I have been thinking why the few peeps I know including some of my distant uncles who spent most of their years abroad came back to Nigeria to live when they became old. Is there something awkward about growing old overseas?

Even my sister in the US, has been telling me that once she gets old, she will come back to Nigeria to spend the remainder of her life. Folks abroad, what's really going on? Is there a harsh reality for the aged over there?

Lol very simple bro,
It's not only in abroad nah, even inside the country.
One needs return home when he or she is getting older.

As you age your social circle shrinks more especially abroad.

But back home you could still join women union, church group village meeting and socialise with people your age.

In addition there will always be people both relatives, neighbours or even tenants around you so you are not entirely alone.

Unlike out here.

Conwarden:



because Naija na burial ground.


Scammers should all unexpectedly die young.





Life sentence for all scammers . . . Including paternity fraudsters!

lmao

Because with your monthly social security check, pension and retirement saving, you can live a life Stress free and not worry about money with the high rent or mortage since you no-longer working to meet those expenses demand in abroad. All you had to do is go back to homebase for yearly medical checkup. That's my wife and I future plans once the kids are grown and on their own. You will be able to get driver, gateman, cook etc.

An average American stops working at an old age to enjoy the gratuity from his or her pension or savings made those years while working. It's an opportunity for them to go on holidays, spend more time with family especially their grandchildren, and so on.

For us from African extract, it is time to bond with home and make up for the distance . Many just travel back occasionally to check on friends or sort other responsibilities

Apus:
You won't understand.

Abroad is good for hustle and enjoying basic amenities we lack here. Asides this, there is this feeling of emptiness or something missing each time you remember home.
When I was away I was even more current about latest happenings in Naija than those at home so as to feel connected.

You just nailed it. Home is home, no matter how rich you are in abroad, u ll always have the zeal to come home.

Nicely analysed

BigDawsNet:
Weather : when you get old... the freezing cold get into your body and knee.... it's not fun... People who know they have a place with warm weather will park back and relocate immediately

Taxes: they are tired of paying taxes.. they wanna go back home and live like a king with less tax to worry about

Properties: You can't hav more than 3 house here... it's not above the law...but where u won take get $500k*3 to get a house... rather they channel it back home... just 150k$ will build standard high rated 2 duplex

Extended family not all family get the chance to move to abroad. Old folks return home to create new life with this people they left decades ago...


Political they wanna get more involved in politics.

So they return home to support, vote and some may be lucky to get appointments

immortalcrown:
Because the suffering there is not good for old age.

Not about suffering mate!

Aged people are well looked after down here, the problem is boredom.

Abroad is not like naija where any of your kids could bring down his or her little one to come stay and care for you, friends rarely come around to say hi unlike what we've got back home etc. Just you in a flat or a care home, and then carers coming to check on you.

I've not noticed this.

As a Nigerian in the Diaspora, I think I qualify to answer this question.

Old age can brutal abroad. We often take the communal life style in Nigeria for granted, here you are by yourself. Your kids, friends and family go thier own way early.

I think it's easier on women because they can kinda blend in with thier kids , but for the men no so well.

Good quality aged care homes cost money even when they are subsidized by government.

What ever pension you have goes further in Nigeria than abroad. Imagine a 70yrs old pensioner who earns 1000 USD, that's barely enough to cover rent, groceries etc. However, you that over 600k in Nigeria for a month. That's more the enough for you to king.

But beyond the financial benefits, if you spent your teen and adult years in Nigeria, there is a yearning to return despite the bad situation back home.

BigDawsNet:
Weather : when you get old... the freezing cold get into your body and knee.... it's not fun... People who know they have a place with warm weather will park back and relocate immediately

Taxes: they are tired of paying taxes.. they wanna go back home and live like a king with less tax to worry about

Properties: You can't hav more than 3 house here... it's not above the law...but where u won take get $500k*3 to get a house... rather they channel it back home... just 150k$ will build standard high rated 2 duplex

Extended family not all family get the chance to move to abroad. Old folks return home to create new life with this people they left decades ago...


Political they wanna get more involved in politics.

So they return home to support, vote and some may be lucky to get appointments

Beautiful

No family structure here. You will be thrown inside a care home. To me that’s punishment lol. Your 1200 dols monthly pensions abroad is nothing. With 30k naira you can hire maid in Nigeria. Get driver for 40k. Is that not enjoyment When i went to hospital many old people cAme for broken arms, lega and other wounds. Because they were doing house chores u can outsource for 5k naira in Nigeria.

Different strokes for different folks. My uncle's friends don beg him taya to return 'home' to Nigeria, he said an emphatic no. Yes, some of them lived abroad and moved 'home' but not all

*I have noticed that we have a tendency to reach conclusions based on 1, 2, 3 examples around us. Is this a problem with our education?

Go and ask the price of mortuary, Casket and plane ticket for Corpse from Yankee to Nigeria...then u know why

Apus:
You won't understand.

Abroad is good for hustle and enjoying basic amenities we lack here. Asides this, there is this feeling of emptiness or something missing each time you remember home.
When I was away I was even more current about latest happenings in Naija than those at home so as to feel connected.

Yh, like my grandma she traveled to and fro thrice last year, she was tryin to make up her mind on wether she could remain here permanently or not but as winter come near nobody tell am she just pack her load come back house shaperly, she always had mixed feelings about the abroad life it was her daughter that just persuaded her to stay there with her ....... especially living in maryland a haven of old and boring people

You said it all!

Originalsly:
If you check ....the persons returning left when they were like 22 or older. They are rooted in Nigeria .... know a whole lot of people and can hang out with them ... have a social life....with little stress. Abroad... at 22 ... you will not make many friends... and those few friends may not live anywhere close to you. I see retired people everyday .... lonely... short of friends... same routine... wake up and get out... on warm days... get their folding chairs... sit at a certain spot... the meeting place.... and greet the passers by on their way to work. Retired people... limited friends... friends because they are retired and have nothing to do. If not healthy enough... they remain indoors... a home aide is provided to assist them... but they are basically isolated... solitary confinement... just existing. Returning home... same weather all year. One can always find old friends... unlimited because you knew sooo many people from school and the neighbourbood... never mind 75% of them have moved away and passed on ... there are still many around. You can relive experiences... reminisce....share experiences... catch up on what's been happening while you were gone ... enjoy good food.... no stress of bills and schedules....

Monday afternoon I have to put out the garbage after 4pm for Tuesday morning pick up.... Tuesday morning I have to get up before 8 a.m and double park the car to allow for street sweeping or face a fine .... then 9:30 I have to find parking or face fine for double parking.... Wednesday I have to pay the phone and internet bill or everything shut down.... Thursday I have to go grocery shopping or face the crowd Friday

....life on programme. Back in Nigeria... none of that stress... I sleep and wake when I wake. Even people not retired... the ones in their prime... returning... do you ever notice how excited they be (unless pestered by beggars)?... the stress off of them you can't tell.... but you can see how excited they are about food ... local food.... regardless of price... they will eat... and eat... and eat... missing in their lives. If one has left Nigeria after a certain age... he will never feel at home in a foreign land... he was there for the opportunities and the money... but after all has been achieved... and he is retired.... then two sayings make a whole lot of sense......

a house is not a home... and there is no place like home.

He will return for peace of mind and comfort in friends.

Apus:
You won't understand.

Abroad is good for hustle and enjoying basic amenities we lack here. Asides this, there is this feeling of emptiness or something missing each time you remember home.
When I was away I was even more current about latest happenings in Naija than those at home so as to feel connected.

Absolutely spot on, especially the bolded...

I surf the net to stay abreast with what's happening back home, I mean like every few hours as much as I've got the time, just to stay connected.

Am currently in the UK right now and I can tell you that loneliness and inferiority complex is what is killing most Nigerians here.I came in just last week and I have made a lot friends here.
If you do things with pure hearts and you don't have an average Nigerian mentality, the whites will like you more.
Moreover,some people can't cope being on another man's land for long.
As for me I can die anywhere I find myself as long as am comfortable

1. Some old people are sent to nursing homes when they grow old
2. You’ve retired with pension, it will go farther in Naija
3. Your kids are all grown and left home so you need available relatives to help care for you near home
4. Some folks want to die and be buried in their original country

Because their close relatives are here to take care of them

Mode4:
I have been thinking why the few peeps I know including some of my distant uncles who spent most of their years abroad came back to Nigeria to live when they became old. Is there something awkward about growing old overseas?

Even my sister in the US, has been telling me that once she gets old, she will come back to Nigeria to spend the remainder of her life. Folks abroad, what's really going on? Is there a harsh reality for the aged over there?

Because the cost of shipping a corpse in a casket and setting up burial arrangements from a distance is back-breaking, nothing less than $20,000 will get anything done for you. Usually tribal associations over there arrange ceremonies where donations are made to raise enough money for shipping the corpse.

Mode4:
I have been thinking why the few peeps I know including some of my distant uncles who spent most of their years abroad came back to Nigeria to live when they became old. Is there something awkward about growing old overseas?

Even my sister in the US, has been telling me that once she gets old, she will come back to Nigeria to spend the remainder of her life. Folks abroad, what's really going on? Is there a harsh reality for the aged over there?

Because it's cheaper to live in Nigeria on pension. The retirement funds and pension goes a long way.

Even some white people go to South America to stretch that money further.

But they still return back to their developed country for regular medical checkup.

No place like home dey say. I wan japa today nor be till forever o. It's all about self improvement and development. What use is all the exposure if you can't bring some experience back home. Though some people are like that o connected and wanting to come home but the ones given birth to over there might not have such connections hence might not come back.

.

immortalcrown:
Because the suffering there is not good for old age.

You're so right.Go to Inglewood in LA, all you see are old people who are homeless. The majority of them did menial jobs all their lives which didn't give room for retirement benefits.

Again, once you're old, the depression is much more over there. Here back home, you can still play ludo with your colleagues under the trees, drink palmwine with them even sew aso ebi. But over there , you're on your own. Children are away with their lives . Everybody is a suspect in the neighbourhood. You may not see neighbour for months yet, you live under same roof with them.

In my honest opinion, guys in the diaspora should invest home, no matter how small cos of old age. They should always be in touch with their backgrounds. This is very important. Visit Nigeria once in a while and learn of events here. Friends you make in the diaspora end there.

No place like home...I'm a witness to this

It's the city syndrome, not peculiar to Nigerians. Most old people can't cope with the city and don't have a place there in the developed world. So they move to the suburbs and fringes.

IT'S A NATURAL THING AND IT IS ALSO COMMON AMONG ANIMALS. ONE IS TO REST, SECONDLY IS TO BE CLOSER HOME IN PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY INTO ETERNITY.