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.
Gerry (25) always wanted to get a master’s abroad. But about two years into Tinubu’s regime, he decided the time was now. In this story, he talks about life in Scotland’s Aberdeen, the exciting whims he’s indulged, and his plans for the future.
Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?
Currently, I’m in Aberdeen, Scotland. I left Nigeria in January of 2025.
What inspired you to leave Nigeria?
Honestly, for lack of a better word, I just wanted fresh air. I always knew I would get a master’s degree at some point, and with Tinubu in power now, I felt it was time to initiate my escape from the country. I decided to go abroad for my master’s, and to leverage it to move to whichever country my heart deems fit after I’m done.
Are you done with your master’s now?
Technically, I’m done. I’m in the process of turning in my dissertation. My graduation is just a few weeks away.
Congratulations. Scotland isn’t a popular destination for Nigerians I’ve interviewed. Why did you choose it?
I’m surprised to hear that. Being here, you see the opposite—Scotland is actually a prime destination for Nigerians. There are a lot of Nigerians here. In fact, sometimes, I only interact with Nigerians for months on end.
I grew up in Port Harcourt, then spent my last two to three years in Nigeria in Lagos. And I preferred Port Harcourt, which is significantly quieter than Lagos. So I knew I needed a city that was just as quiet, hence why I chose Aberdeen.
Is Port Harcourt your favourite Nigerian city?
It’s actually Akure. I’ve been around a lot of cities in Southern Nigeria, and Akure just stands out as a very fun place. I’d describe it as a perfect retirement city. Most of the businesses there cater for retirees and make people feel as relaxed as possible.
But the thing with people in their retirement era is that there are a lot of big birthdays and burial ceremonies. So if you’re looking for a type of fun that is very Nigerian but not Lagos-centric, Akure is a good place.
That’s very interesting. But how could you tell Aberdeen would be your type of city before you arrived?
I have a couple of relatives and very close family friends who have been here for over ten years. That was where my insight came from.
It must have been great having that support when you arrived. But what were you up to in Nigeria before you left?
I worked in marketing. My master’s is also in marketing. I came to Lagos for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2022. After that, I got a job at a top marketing agency. I spent a little over a year there and then moved to a health tech startup in an executive position. At the same time, I had side contracts as well.
I lived what I’d describe as a very unbothered, soft life in Lagos. I wasn’t paying rent for the years I spent there, so all my income went into my personal needs. I was very independent.
Life in Lagos, as hectic as it was, was a very good career step. I knew I had to be there because that’s where all the big media and marketing work in Nigeria is done. So between 2022 and 2024, my life was basically all about work.
What was the experience like when you first arrived in Scotland?
When I landed in Aberdeen, it hit me, and I realised I may have made a big mistake. Aberdeen is really far up north on the map. It is a very cold city. So I’d arrived in London, and it wasn’t that cold, and there was no snow. Then I got on the plane to Aberdeen and slept throughout the 45-minute flight. I woke up to whiteness. Every building, the ground, everything was white with snow.
Climate-wise, they are like close cousins to Scandinavian countries. It’s similar to the weather you’d have in Norway. The mistake I’d made was that I was only wearing a sweatshirt. The first week was not a fun experience. I had to battle a horrible cold, and my body was struggling to adapt. But now I can walk out in the snow wearing just shorts.
How have you found social life in Aberdeen?
It’s not bad at all. You also don’t need a lot of money to relax here. Aberdeen is the sort of city where you can meet literally anybody if you’re the social type. There is a Nigerian club here called Club Lagos. There are enough Nigerian events that mirror the experience from back home, just in slightly higher quality. On a scale of one to ten, I’ll give the social life in Aberdeen a solid nine.
What activities do you do to unwind in Aberdeen?
I like to go running and hiking on the hills here. There are lots of hills and mountains in Scotland. I’ve been to the lake where the mythical Loch Ness monster supposedly is. It’s a hilly valley with a mountain range. It was weird realising there are mountains of over 2,000 feet in Scotland. I climbed one of the shorter ones, and it was a really fun hike.
Then there is the food. I think that is actually my go-to fun activity. In the last year, I think I’ve tried practically 80 per cent of the restaurants here. I’m always dragging my friends to the new restaurants I want to try. They already know they don’t have a choice; once I decide we are going to a restaurant on the weekend, we are going.
What are you eating at these restaurants?
I do not like English or Scottish food. I don’t fancy it at all. I’ll only eat it if my back is against the wall. They know, too, that their food is horrible, so they’re very welcoming of foreign food. There are so many Indian, Southeast Asian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Italian restaurants here. I’ve even been to a Cambodian restaurant in Glasgow.
What is your favourite ethnic food?
Still Nigerian food. After that, I’ll say Asian fast food.
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Have you been back to Nigeria since you left?
No, and I don’t intend to if it’s just for a visit. It’s just too much work. I’ll have to take three flights to get to my father’s house in Port Harcourt. I don’t have it in me to take three flights right now. If it were possible to take just one flight, I would go easily.
I am open to moving back to Nigeria for work on a permanent basis. But not going back for fun because I don’t think there’s any fun to be had in Nigeria.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m currently in the process of looking at what the short term looks like, but I’m horrible at short-term planning. Long term, if the UK is still an option in five years, the goal would be to get Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or a Global Talent visa. I’d use that as a bedrock to explore other countries, particularly Canada, for work opportunities.
What is your support system like in Aberdeen?
I have a very close-knit personal network that is surprisingly very female-driven. Most of my male friends here have moved to different cities. I also have the relatives and family friends I mentioned who have been here for decades.
How have you met new people?
I have met a bunch. A decent chunk of Nigerians live in my building; that was the first entry point. My university is also very African-centred, so I met Nigerians and Ghanaians there. As much as I’m not a social person, people are drawn to my personality, so I actually meet a lot of people. Mostly it’s through church, school, and work.
What culture shocks have you experienced so far?
“Culture shock” isn’t the right word for me because I was already conversant with Western society before leaving Nigeria. Nothing felt like a shock. But one thing that still surprises me is how everyone keeps in line while waiting for the bus. It might not be an orderly single file, but everyone knows who got to the bus stop first, and they signal to each other in that order when boarding.
Something I had to get used to quickly was that Aberdeen is a very cashless city. Everyone uses a card or Apple Pay. I arrived holding about £1,000 in £50 notes. That’s the highest denomination here, and the notes are rare to find because if you need to pay for something that much, people expect you to just make a transfer.
Have you experienced racism in Scotland?
I can’t say I have directly experienced it, but in certain situations, you feel it. For example, while working at a retail store, I noticed that all the higher-level staff were white, specifically Scottish whites. Systemically, you notice it takes a while to gain “trust” in corporate settings when you’re an immigrant.
But I think the closest thing to racism you’ll see from a Scot is when they’re around English people. Scottish people generally don’t like English people; you can see the tension most when English people come to Aberdeen for a holiday in the summer.
What is your favourite and least favourite thing about Aberdeen?
My favourite thing is winter. My least favourite thing is also winter. They are great to look at, but horrible to experience.
What has been your worst experience in Scotland so far?
I haven’t really had a horrible or bad experience. The worst I can think of is my phone going off while I’m outside. But even then, I can just walk into any electrical or repair store and get it charged. If you are good at quick thinking, you won’t have many problems here. People are generally willing to help or guide you.
What has been your best experience?
There are quite a lot. I spent a weekend with a friend, seeing every major landmark in Aberdeen. We both had cameras and played a “colour game” where we looked for things of a particular colour in every region of the city and took pictures. It was a great, personalised city tour.
A runner-up would be going to Glasgow on a whim, then to Edinburgh for a concert, staying at someone’s house for dinner, and not returning home until Monday morning. That was a whole weekend across two cities in three nights.
On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in Scotland?
A solid seven out of ten. It’ll be complete when I get a proper job.
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