The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
Ifiok (40) was the guy who kept people on payroll in Nigeria, but when he sold his properties, shut down his businesses and left for Canada, life rid him of his privileges. In this story, he shares how he became a waiter in his new country and spent two years living in a basement with his family of four until things changed.
Where do you currently live, and when did you move from Nigeria?
I live in Canada and left Nigeria in April of 2022.
What was the motivation behind your move?
I worked in a government agency and was about to be promoted to a directorial position, but after Buhari became president, I started considering relocating with my family. The thought of relocating didn’t cross my mind until 2015.
My family and I used to shuffle between Nigeria and the United States (US), because we have family there. I never once considered settling in the US during our visits because I used to see so much potential in Nigeria, and I held on to the hope that things would improve. I couldn’t even imagine leaving. I had thriving businesses in Nigeria, but things started changing after Buhari became president.
How bad was the change?
My businesses started generating less profit. I did my projection, and I admitted that the companies were failing. My wife moved briefly to the US to get another degree and took our son with her. After spending a year there, she wanted us to move permanently, but I didn’t want to live in the US, so we compromised.
I weighed my options before I told her I could see myself living in Canada. My salary was about $2,000 in 2009. By 2017, the same salary had become less than $500 due to the exchange rate.
I got promotions, but my salary was still less than $1,000. I had two kids and was paying ₦1.3 million for both kids every school term. I could only survive in Nigeria by lobbying for government contracts, which I didn’t want to do. I told my wife I was ready to move, and she started the process herself. All I needed to do was bring money. Everything worked out, and we left as permanent residents.
I’m glad things worked out. Is there a reason you didn’t want to move to the US?
The gun violence in the US is a red flag for me. I can’t imagine subjecting my kids to a life where they can potentially witness a shootout in school. The country’s gun law allows people to carry arms, and I’m not comfortable with that. It’s a place I’ve visited enough to know I don’t want to reside permanently.
That’s understandable. What was your family’s move to Canada like?
When we first moved, there was a day when it felt like my spirit stepped out of my body and confronted me about my decision. I was an employer in Nigeria. I had people on payroll. But none of that meant anything after we moved. I had to adjust to the harsh reality that my undergraduate and master’s degrees meant nothing here. We sold everything before we came here, so we had to build our lives from the ground up.
I’m so sorry about that
Thank you. My first job here was as a waiter in a fast food restaurant. While interviewing for that job, the person who interviewed me almost rejected me because of my master’s degree and experience. I had to convince the interviewer to completely ignore that I was overqualified. I needed a way to make money for my family, even if that meant flipping burgers. I got the job and worked there for about five months.
A while later, I got another job but wasn’t comfortable with the company’s culture, so I left after a month. I was jobless for a month after leaving that company, but I got another job, and life started improving for my family. That job helped me develop my customer service skills.
Now, I’m working with the Canadian government, and life has gotten much better. We moved into our three-bedroom duplex home last year, which is crazy because we lived in a basement for two years after moving to Canada. Now, we have two living rooms and a basement suite, which we rent out.
We also recently got a 2025 model car. Even with the businesses we had in Nigeria, we couldn’t have done that. Canada has a way of making the life you want more accessible.
I’m so happy for you. How are your kids settling into the new life?
My son struggled emotionally when we first moved here. He misses his grandparents in Nigeria, but he’s happier now. We’re flying his grandparents to Canada this year to surprise him, and I’m excited about it. My daughter is also happier now. They’ll get to spend the summer with their grandparents, which should be their year’s highlight.
You seem to be doing much better financially. How exactly did things change within such a short timeframe?
It has more to do with Canada than anything. It’s hard to save in Nigeria; healthcare is expensive, and you have to spend thousands of naira powering your generator daily, but those things are not problems here.
In Nigeria, I spent ₦1.3 million on school fees for my two kids every term. Here, we don’t pay much, not even for school materials. The minimum wage here was $12 per hour when we moved. I was making $12 per hour, and my wife was working at Walmart too, so that we could pull our income together. The second job I mentioned earlier was paying $22 per hour, and my present job pays more than that. My wife has also gotten a better job. Compared to Canada, Nigeria has no system. We’ve achieved most of the things here because of Canada’s credit system.
Amazing! Are there any downsides to living in Canada?
It can be a lonely place. I empathise with single people who want to move here. I seriously empathise with them, because moving with your significant other will still come with many struggles. Nigeria is more social, and you’ll most likely miss the community you built there. That part is not much of a problem because my wife and I have made like-minded friends here, too.
How would you rate your happiness in Canada on a scale of one to ten?
9.5. There’s always room for improvement. I still want more success for my family.
Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me here. For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).
