₦airaland Forum

Psychologically, the human brain is wired to remember pain more easily than good experiences. You might feed a man 100 times, and he may forget. But he will never forget the day you sent him away from your house, and that memory might define his relationship with you.

This is the problem the UK has. The country has been receiving a lot of bad press in recent times. As a writer, I have also been guilty of this. A poultry farmer recently criticised Nigerians in the UK, claiming they work three shifts just to survive. He also said that no Nigerian in the UK can boast of having £20,000 in their bank account. Similarly, a social media personality, Temi Ashebu, a 46-year-old single mother based in Florida, US, accused Nigerian men in the UK of mostly doing menial jobs to survive. This has become the strategy of people seeking social media attention, and it is unlikely to stop. It is rage bait.

The UK certainly has its challenges. However, people often become so accustomed to the positives of a place that they begin to focus almost entirely on the negatives. After the excitement of settling into a new environment fades, the mind naturally adapts and starts noticing imperfections instead.

I want this article to offer something beyond what you can easily find on Google, so I will make it a little personal.

In 2022, I met a lady at work who told me she had been earning less than ₦50,000 a month in Nigeria. Life became so difficult that a family member agreed to fund her relocation abroad with the understanding that she would repay the money later. She grabbed the opportunity. From earning ₦50,000, she began making the equivalent of over ₦2,000,000 a month doing blue-collar jobs. She proudly told me she was almost done repaying the money, much to the surprise of the person who financed her relocation. To her, the UK was the best country in the world.

I also met a teacher who earned ₦70,000 a month, and even those salaries were irregular. Sometimes, her employer simply did not pay. Moving to the UK transformed not only her life but also the future of her son, who was still in Nigeria at the time.

Another person is my benefactor. He was born into a large family in the suburbs of Lagos State. Life was hard. He lived with his family in an uncompleted building while pursuing a career in Accounting and trying his hand at business. The more money he made, the greater the financial demands from his extended family became.

One night, he sat down and reflected on his life. He realised that a rich man surrounded by poor people can still feel poor. He knew he needed to take a bold step, create a fresh path and open doors for his siblings. With the little money he had saved, he relocated to the UK about 12 years ago, long before the healthcare visa era.

According to him, life was difficult. Visa sponsorship required almost divine intervention. He worked in factories, warehouses, hospitals, bars, anywhere he could find work. During COVID, he laced up his boots and confronted danger daily. He eventually made enough money to buy a house, got married and started bringing members of his family to the UK. This man played a significant role in bringing me here, and I will always be grateful. Today, life is good, and most of his siblings are now in the UK working in professional careers.

I remember arriving in the UK in October 2021 with just £10, which I exchanged at Yaba Market in Lagos, two large travelling bags filled with foodstuffs that my mum packed for me, and about ₦100,000 in my account. I arrived alone. Today, if I choose to leave, I will be leaving with a beautiful family. I also went from doing a blue-collar job to sitting in a predominantly white office in a major government organisation.

What amazes me most is what the future could hold. I love the quality of education my son is receiving, and I look forward to helping him fulfil his potential. I now send my parents sizeable monthly stipends, and they can visit the UK whenever they wish. I could never have done that while living in Nigeria. One day, I told my dad, “Whenever you need anything, just call me. I am here for you.” He almost cried.

My story is not an isolated one. Many Nigerians who started with blue-collar jobs are gradually transitioning into technology, management and other professional careers. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.

I know an engineer who was working in healthcare and preparing to leave the UK because his visa was about to expire. Someone encouraged him to keep applying for jobs, even though it seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack. He gave it one last shot and landed a £79,000-a-year role with a well-known logistics company. The company sponsored both his visa and those of his family members for five years, covering all the associated costs.

The statistics also tell an interesting story. Nigeria is consistently listed by the Migration Observatory and the World Bank as one of the top recipients of remittances sent from the UK, alongside India and Pakistan. Official migrant remittances leaving the UK amount to roughly £9.3 billion each year. Nigeria receives a significant share of that money. The reverse is virtually non-existent.

Is the UK a perfect place? Certainly not. Life is expensive, visa restrictions can slow people’s progress, the cost of living is high, racism still exists, and good jobs can be difficult to secure.

The problem is that many Nigerians who are doing well value their privacy and rarely share their success stories. Those who are struggling often take to social media to vent their frustrations, while others pretend everything is perfect. In today’s world, the loudest voices often shape public perception.

To this day, there is still a huge demand for talented Nigerians in the UK, and there are many legitimate opportunities for those who are willing to work hard, develop themselves and remain consistent. The UK is not perfect, but for many people, it remains a place where lives can be transformed.

I often wonder what my life would have looked like if I had never moved here. For everything this country has made possible for my family and me, I remain deeply grateful.

https://www.facebook.com/thevillagetowncrier/posts/pfbid0247u4UVgftKcL5Usmzq7daqjmyebfN4Zg7ZFvVMwkeacHSFzynweMW7inogNwZVhzl

I will come back if this graces front page.

We're in the promised land. I still don't have what to type. The writeup is too long. Post a summary if you want to criticize my reading ability. I know you won't because even you will skim through the article.

Can #30m take me and my wife to UK?

uche87:
To this day, there is still a huge demand for talented Nigerians in the UK, and there are many legitimate opportunities for those who are willing to work hard, develop themselves and remain consistent. The UK is not perfect, but for many people, it remains a place where lives can be transformed.

I often wonder what my life would have looked like if I had never moved here. For everything this country has made possible for my family and me, I remain deeply grateful.

https://www.facebook.com/thevillagetowncrier/posts/pfbid0247u4UVgftKcL5Usmzq7daqjmyebfN4Zg7ZFvVMwkeacHSFzynweMW7inogNwZVhzl

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi NLfpmod

Thank you for your post. It's nothing but the truth. A family friend has been in the UK since 2007, he's a medical doctor, he got married to a uk citizen, but till today, he hasn't taken anyone from his family here in Nigeria to the UK, he always talk about life being different and saying people in Nigeria would not understand. He has no investment in Nigeria, he says investing in Nigeria would be a mistake for him and all that.

On the other hand is another family friend who left Nigeria 2023, she was a contract staff in a bank while she was here. Before leaving, she sold the only land that she had. She works as a support worker and other menial jobs in the UK. She's constantly talking about UK being the best thing that has happened to her, according to her, she does different shift, and any possible work she sees, she jumps on it. Presently, she bought a land in Nigeria early last year and she's done building and furnishing her duplex last month. What am I saying, mindset is the difference, some people earn 100k in Nigeria and they're good with saving and managing their cash, while some earn 700k and they're constantly in debt and always complaining. That's the reason i don't listen to those people always complaining about the UK because 95% of them are just lazy, ungrateful and have no money management skills.

Let me park here...I know this topic is going to the FP when the Sun shines on it

Okoko man, you want to carry your wife to UK,when she deport you don't come here and start crying, because men like you refuse to learn from others mistake.

opera1:
Can #30m take me and my wife to UK?

Baronthecelebri:
Okoko man, you want to carry your wife to UK,when she deport you don't come here and start crying, because men like you refuse to learn from others mistake.

Though she want only me to go but We both labour for the money and we both studied MLS. Our induction is coming up soon and she's pushing me to go for post graduate program.

Baronthecelebri:
Okoko man, you want to carry your wife to UK,when she deport you don't come here and start crying, because men like you refuse to learn from others mistake.

So he should leave his legally married wife in Nigeria and travel alone?
You must really have a miserable life to be praying for a stranger’s marriage to fail just so you can say, ‘I told you so.’ That’s a sad way to live

In everything there will be the good, the bad and the ugly. Before relocating any where please do your due dilligence, it is a life changing experience whether for good or worse.

You will have some adjustments to make, huge life threatening ones but like the rule of the jungle, only the strong will survive while the Smart will thrive.

If you like, allow people to deceive you and discourage you not to Japa if you have the opportunity. You will regret it. Allow sycophants like Daniel Bwala whose family lives abroad to deceive you.

If you get money, japa. Make nobody tell you otherwise

There's no one that's been to UK that i know that's not doing well

I, prefer Europe country
But language seems to be issue

Australia is bae. If you must sell your assets to JAPA. Make sure is Australia. You will never regret it.

JAPA







if opportunity comes as a NIGERIAN.










Nigeria leaders will never change the Nation.

If UK no sweet, Nigerians for there go don dey comot in large numbers

opera1:
Though she want only me to go but We both labour for the money and we both studied MLS. Our induction is coming up soon and she's pushing me to go for post graduate program.

Take this from me. Travel alone first and allow your wife and kids remain in Nigeria. You can bring her over after seven years or so, or if possible encourage her to stay back in Nigeria while you visit.

muyico:
I, prefer Europe country
But language seems to be issue

There is no europesn country i will go to right now, outside of the UK

Nackzy:
There's no one that's been to UK that i that's not doing well

Like seriously, it seems you don't know what you are talking about

Shedrack777:
If you get money, japa. Make nobody tell you otherwise

that one concern who wan give me bad advice. The only thing wey go prevent me aside from death to leave this country na say I get political appointment where I fit steal tens of millions of naira in a short while. Other than that I'm already in Canada/USA before 2030.

All I must learn are money management skills, lazy, I no dey lazy. Na just to invest any money I'll make there judiciously I go need learn, make I no waste am in solving one mumu family problem or helping any yeye friend cos I truly know friends I get now no fit help me.

Rapmoney:
If you like, allow people to deceive you and discourage you not to Japa if you have the opportunity. You will regret it. Allow sycophants like Daniel Bwala whose family lives abroad to deceive you.

that one concern who wants take the advice of not leaving. I've made up my mind. Na funds dey hold me down.

Tickles001:
Take this from me. Travel alone first and allow your wife and kids remain in Nigeria. You can bring her over after seven years or so, or if possible encourage her to stay back in Nigeria while you visit.

And what is going to happen to him over there without his wife,to die of loneliness ,guy is not easy

UK that have been overrun by immigrants, that in most of their cities now the native Brits are now the minority. They have had enough of endless mass migration, you people should pity them now.

There are more opportunities outside for the average man. But if you are grounded in investment and trading, you should make Nigeria your base. Still you will have reasons to relocate abroad for access to better living conditions.

If you are into those areas I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Nigeria will be your thing. But if you are the technocrat person, bookish kind of person, then, you better japa cos these ones here will frustrate your effort here in Naija.

One of my guys showed me his portfolio in the Nigerian stocks. And I was shocked. Over N100M worth. And he has other trading investments. He goes about silently as if there is nothing in his pocket. Guy isnt thinking about places Nigerians are too many in. Switzerland is where he is eyeing. He knows what he wants.

So, if you know your way, you can make it in the UK. And if you are just the "follow follow" person, you get trapped in it. Na menial jobs you go do for a long time if you dont wake up on time.

Their biggest dream is to go to white mans land and slave so whites would give him better life, after which they come here and brag make all of us kukuma japa empty into U..K , Blacks are complete slaves by default that’s how God destined it…

FineUsername:
Australia is bae. If you must sell your assets to JAPA. Make sure is Australia. You will never regret it.

I'm on this process, Skilled Worker Migration. Just entered the pool🙌.

dollyjoy:
So he should leave his legally married wife in Nigeria and travel alone?
You must really have a miserable life to be praying for a stranger’s marriage to fail just so you can say, ‘I told you so.’ That’s a sad way to live

Unfortunately that is how many of them are.
Very dangerous humans.

MarketDispatch:
Let me park here...I know this topic is going to the FP when the Sun shines on it

It's now on front page, you can come and amend your comment now

Parachoko:
If UK no sweet, Nigerians for there go don dey comot in large numbers

chai parachoko and you allow Agbero chairman to be using you .won't you want Nigeria to be like UK

FineUsername:
Australia is bae. If you must sell your assets to JAPA. Make sure is Australia. You will never regret it.

If you go to Australia just be ready to be battling with snakes every other day

uche87:
Psychologically, the human brain is wired to remember pain more easily than good experiences. You might feed a man 100 times, and he may forget. But he will never forget the day you sent him away from your house, and that memory might define his relationship with you.

This is the problem the UK has. The country has been receiving a lot of bad press in recent times. As a writer, I have also been guilty of this. A poultry farmer recently criticised Nigerians in the UK, claiming they work three shifts just to survive. He also said that no Nigerian in the UK can boast of having £20,000 in their bank account. Similarly, a social media personality, Temi Ashebu, a 46-year-old single mother based in Florida, US, accused Nigerian men in the UK of mostly doing menial jobs to survive. This has become the strategy of people seeking social media attention, and it is unlikely to stop. It is rage bait.

The UK certainly has its challenges. However, people often become so accustomed to the positives of a place that they begin to focus almost entirely on the negatives. After the excitement of settling into a new environment fades, the mind naturally adapts and starts noticing imperfections instead.

I want this article to offer something beyond what you can easily find on Google, so I will make it a little personal.

In 2022, I met a lady at work who told me she had been earning less than ₦50,000 a month in Nigeria. Life became so difficult that a family member agreed to fund her relocation abroad with the understanding that she would repay the money later. She grabbed the opportunity. From earning ₦50,000, she began making the equivalent of over ₦2,000,000 a month doing blue-collar jobs. She proudly told me she was almost done repaying the money, much to the surprise of the person who financed her relocation. To her, the UK was the best country in the world.

I also met a teacher who earned ₦70,000 a month, and even those salaries were irregular. Sometimes, her employer simply did not pay. Moving to the UK transformed not only her life but also the future of her son, who was still in Nigeria at the time.

Another person is my benefactor. He was born into a large family in the suburbs of Lagos State. Life was hard. He lived with his family in an uncompleted building while pursuing a career in Accounting and trying his hand at business. The more money he made, the greater the financial demands from his extended family became.

One night, he sat down and reflected on his life. He realised that a rich man surrounded by poor people can still feel poor. He knew he needed to take a bold step, create a fresh path and open doors for his siblings. With the little money he had saved, he relocated to the UK about 12 years ago, long before the healthcare visa era.

According to him, life was difficult. Visa sponsorship required almost divine intervention. He worked in factories, warehouses, hospitals, bars, anywhere he could find work. During COVID, he laced up his boots and confronted danger daily. He eventually made enough money to buy a house, got married and started bringing members of his family to the UK. This man played a significant role in bringing me here, and I will always be grateful. Today, life is good, and most of his siblings are now in the UK working in professional careers.

I remember arriving in the UK in October 2021 with just £10, which I exchanged at Yaba Market in Lagos, two large travelling bags filled with foodstuffs that my mum packed for me, and about ₦100,000 in my account. I arrived alone. Today, if I choose to leave, I will be leaving with a beautiful family. I also went from doing a blue-collar job to sitting in a predominantly white office in a major government organisation.

What amazes me most is what the future could hold. I love the quality of education my son is receiving, and I look forward to helping him fulfil his potential. I now send my parents sizeable monthly stipends, and they can visit the UK whenever they wish. I could never have done that while living in Nigeria. One day, I told my dad, “Whenever you need anything, just call me. I am here for you.” He almost cried.

My story is not an isolated one. Many Nigerians who started with blue-collar jobs are gradually transitioning into technology, management and other professional careers. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.

I know an engineer who was working in healthcare and preparing to leave the UK because his visa was about to expire. Someone encouraged him to keep applying for jobs, even though it seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack. He gave it one last shot and landed a £79,000-a-year role with a well-known logistics company. The company sponsored both his visa and those of his family members for five years, covering all the associated costs.

The statistics also tell an interesting story. Nigeria is consistently listed by the Migration Observatory and the World Bank as one of the top recipients of remittances sent from the UK, alongside India and Pakistan. Official migrant remittances leaving the UK amount to roughly £9.3 billion each year. Nigeria receives a significant share of that money. The reverse is virtually non-existent.

Is the UK a perfect place? Certainly not. Life is expensive, visa restrictions can slow people’s progress, the cost of living is high, racism still exists, and good jobs can be difficult to secure.

The problem is that many Nigerians who are doing well value their privacy and rarely share their success stories. Those who are struggling often take to social media to vent their frustrations, while others pretend everything is perfect. In today’s world, the loudest voices often shape public perception.

To this day, there is still a huge demand for talented Nigerians in the UK, and there are many legitimate opportunities for those who are willing to work hard, develop themselves and remain consistent. The UK is not perfect, but for many people, it remains a place where lives can be transformed.

I often wonder what my life would have looked like if I had never moved here. For everything this country has made possible for my family and me, I remain deeply grateful.

https://www.facebook.com/thevillagetowncrier/posts/pfbid0247u4UVgftKcL5Usmzq7daqjmyebfN4Zg7ZFvVMwkeacHSFzynweMW7inogNwZVhzl

Your stories may be true. Europe or America or your home country is a choice. The choice that you may continue to live with for the rest of your life. Every human being must have a value they live for. Your value in life matters. If you need a good life and you have no money as a Nigerian, may be u may gather money and travel out of Nigeria to Europeor America. You will suffer! You will cry but it may pay off later. But if u value ur v Africanness; u have self-esteem and believe in yourself, Europe or America will be like an Illusion! For me, I have escaped the illusion or misery of "if I don't relocate to Europe or America, I would not make it"! I relocated my family from the UK to Nigeria having spent over 60m. My eyes are clear! Choose ur value in life. Stop telling people what to do with their choices!

I don't even bother with these discourses mostly. I was in Nigeria last month and I know what I saw.

Parents are now comfortable with their children not in school before of fees. Mass begging.

People find ways to cope. And Nigerians are good at that. The thought of immigrants suffering in diaspora gives a sort of relief to people who can't or don't want to travel. It justifies their choices.

My greatest regret remains not relocating in 2014, thinking I was building something in Nigeria.