Struggles of a Nigerian Abroad

Right now, I am writing this from a four bedroom shared apartment in a little town called York, working a part time night shift of 5 till 9 as a telesales advisor, with no savings to my name and talking to the most beautiful girl in the world (my girlfriend). Nevertheless on paper (my curriculum Vitae) I have a diploma in Social administration and development, a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Masters in Public Administration/Public Policy Analysis and at the moment working on a professional Qualification.

 The picture I have just painted is the reality which over 50 per cent of Nigerians in the UK face. Realistically speaking, my last statement might be seen as a complete generalisation, due to the lack of factual evidence in backing my report. However I won’t bore you on the details of collating factual statistics and how the Nigerian foreign affairs ministry should be able to provide this statistics (Which I have painstakingly searched for and just hit a dead end).So permit me to give my answer based on hearsay and my experience from the United Kingdom.

I recently graduated from one of the top ten schools in the UK and for the last one year I have been trying to secure a full time graduate role (I might as well be lazy and blame it on the recession). I was lucky to secure a job as a part time telesales advisor (bottom of the labour market). In order words I am a telesales agent with a master’s degree in politics and public management, don’t forget I am currently working towards my professional qualification and still applying for the graduate roles before my visa expires in less than 12 months. O I forgot to tell you the only way I can renew my Visa is if I secure a full time Graduate role.

On the other hand, if I was in Nigeria (this I also am basing on hearsay). I would most likely be working at the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service or as a junior staff in a bank earning less than 150000 a month. You might think it is a lot but wait till you deduct housing, food, and transport thus leaving me with nothing. Although it is said “there is no place like home”, and “Nigeria is where the money is at”. Yes those statements are true if you have a parent working in the Presidency or as they say “if you have leg”. Well I don’t have leg so I am taking a stance with the people who live on less than nothing a day, the medical doctor who works as a marketer, the engineer working as a lesson teacher and all the people who came out for the Occupy Nigeria protest. To be honest I believe Home is being slowly transformed into hell by the few at the helms of power.

I have given you a glimpse into my life and thought process,  guess I will leave you with one of my aspirations and goals in life, which is to get as much experience, awareness and know how on my career path, no matter how much I have to suffer. And then come back to Nigeria to make a difference. This I have promised myself and my country Nigeria.  So I leave you with the task of answering the question based on the little glimpse I have given you, into my life. Do you think young people studying/working abroad outside Nigeria face more or less challenges?

Stay tuned to “The ramblings of a Nigerian abroad”.
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