I Moved from the UK to Nigeria for a Better Life and Now I’m Not So Sure
Yeah, I think I messed up, but the truth is Nigeria at the time seemed like the lesser of two evils.
I moved back to Nigeria from the UK about three months ago. To be honest, what sent me running from London was the rising cost of living. Rent, food, and even basic enjoyment were sucking the life out of me. So I figured with my monthly salary, I was poor and wretched in the UK, but in Nigeria, I would be a millionaire given the exchange rate. So I began to save, get my ducks in a row, and plan my return to Nigeria.
I wasn’t completely excited about moving back because there were certain infrastructures in London that I knew I wouldn’t have access to anymore once I moved. As per my initial deductions, I was right. Rent, cost of living, and the stress that comes with it have somewhat diminished for me since being back in Nigeria. However, I have had some eyebrow-raising encounters these past few months which have made me question if I made the right choice in the first place.
There is a certain spirit of desperation and hopelessness permeating Nigeria right now. I don’t claim to be an expert because I know I am shielded from the full Nigerian experience by my privileges, but I have noticed this zeitgeist just from interacting with Uber drivers, especially, and hearing…