For Harrison, who relocated to the UK, the 2023 election result was what finally moved this thought to reality. What started as a carefully planned escape from Nigeria’s uncertain future has turned into a race against time, visa rules, and a system that keeps changing the rules.
In an exclusive conversation with FunTimes Magazine, Juliet Ezinne Onah, who left Nigeria in 2024 and currently resides in Germany, opens up about the moment that changed everything, what it really feels like to start over in a foreign land, and why, even after all of it, she still believes there is no place like home.
For many in the diaspora, home isn’t just a place on a map. It is a persistent ache; the longing for your people and your culture. Years of longing turn into plans for a “japada” (a return to the motherland), the soil that raised your parents.
When Tricia, 40, decided to pursue a Master’s degree, she thought it was going to be an easy ride. She soon realised that juggling school, taking care of kids with no nanny or help, and working was not for the faint-hearted. In
Owomitola, who currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, shares the realities many newcomers face, from adapting to a new culture to navigating the weather and learning to build independence far from home. Her experience offers a window into what migration to Canada truly looks like today.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but for some Nigerians chasing opportunity abroad, that grass can feel like quicksand. Trying to settle as an immigrant can be challenging, especially when your visa is nearing its end, and you have no plan B.
For over ten years, she had imagined studying abroad. She sees growth as a necessary part of life, which is why she decided to leave home for the unknown.
What Omodunni shares is beyond a migration story; it is the story of a woman who kept choosing herself. She opens up about what both relocations truly cost her. Her journey captures the quiet determination of so many Nigerians rewriting their futures, even if it means starting over again, and again.
When Amarachi decided to leave Nigeria for Ireland in 2019, it was not out of desperation. She migrated because she was ambitious. When her friend casually mentioned she was earning in a week, twice what Amarachi made in an entire month, something inside her stirred. That moment planted a seed that grew into a bold decision to leave Nigeria.
When people ask why he left a well‑paying job in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector to pursue a Master’s degree in the UK, Bola always gives the same answer: “The stress was too much, and I just wanted more that wouldn’t require working around the clock.”
