For Angel Ndubuisi, December 24, 2025, was not about Christmas rice. It was the day she left Nigeria to begin a new life in Japan. Her journey captures the emotional rollercoaster many young Nigerians face when migration becomes real.
When Rukky left Nigeria for the United Kingdom in 2022 with his wife and children, he imagined new opportunities, financial stability, and a brighter future. What he did not expect was over a month spent in an Airbnb, thousands of pounds disappearing before they even found a home, and the reality that in Britain, having money is not always enough; sometimes, it is the process that matters most.
Many people think relocating abroad promises better opportunities, financial stability, and a fresh start. But for Ada, who left Nigeria for the UK in 2021, the dream lasted barely two years before she made a decision that many people still struggle to understand: she returned home.
Before she ever applied for a student visa or booked a flight to the UK, she was like many young Nigerians, trying to build a life in Lagos while quietly battling the chaos that comes with it. For some people, Lagos is energy, opportunity, and endless motion. But for others, it is noise, fear, and a constant feeling of being on edge.
If you have ever tried to convince a Nigerian man who still believes ‘things will be better’ to relocate,…
From xenophobic attacks in South Africa to anti-immigrant rhetoric in parts of the United Kingdom, Black immigrants are facing hostility, not because of who they are, but because of systems that fail everyone and then convince people to blame the most vulnerable.
The West African country of Ghana has become notable for welcoming the African Diaspora back home. After 2019’s Year of Return, when former president Nana Akuffo-Addo began giving African descendants of chattel slavery Ghanaian citizenship, African Americans continued repatriating, and are also settling in other African countries, notably Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Kenya.
FunTimes Magazine spoke with four Nigerian international students currently navigating four different countries, the UK, Canada, the US, and Italy, to capture what studying abroad actually looks like once the celebration photos are put away.
In this conversation with FunTimes Magazine, Thomas shares the highs and lows of life as an international student, the realities of the UK system, and what life looks like now as he tries to find his footing after graduation.
In this conversation with FunTimes, Gift opens up about the realities many immigrants face but rarely discuss, and how she has been able to overcome several challenges along the way.
