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.
Bolu* (37) would do anything for his wife and kids, even if it means leaving his thriving career and moving to Canada to seek a better life for them. In this story, he shares how his life has become more financially intense than anticipated.
Where do you currently live, and when did you move from Nigeria?
I currently live in Canada. I moved from Nigeria about two years ago
What motivated your move to Canada?
There were a couple of reasons. One of the major ones was the need for a more stable environment—something better for myself and my family. The economy back home just wasn’t encouraging, and I wanted a place with more possibilities, where we could thrive.
How has life been since you moved to Canada?
Honestly, it hasn’t been easy. It’s been a big adjustment. After my studies, it was tough finding a job right away, and it affected a lot of things financially. The cost of education here is also not cheap; you’re looking at about 20,000 Canadian dollars just for school fees. It’s another thing entirely when food, clothes, and other living expenses are factored in.
I hoped things would fall into place quickly, but they didn’t. So, I won’t say it’s been rosy. It’s been a mix of highs and lows, but we’re surviving.
What did your life in Nigeria look like before moving?
Life in Nigeria wasn’t all bad. Just before I left, I was made Head of Sales, and that promotion came with a salary increase. I was earning about ₦800k monthly, and things were beginning to look up.
I was shuffling between being a Product Manager and handling sales, recruitment, strategy, and all that stuff. I had major companies in my portfolio, so my career looked better than ever.
Despite all of those successes, I had to make the decision I made because being a man means you always have to think of how life can get better for the people in your life. I have a wife and two daughters who were schooling in Abuja, and being a family man comes with financial obligations that keep rising
Did moving to Canada change anything?
Oh yes, definitely. It has especially changed how people perceive me. A big one was with my landlord back home. Once he found out I had relocated, he decided to double my rent, even though I wasn’t earning in dollars yet.
People assume that once you’re abroad, everything is automatically perfect. They don’t consider the debt you might be in, or the loans you had to take just to pay school fees and survive. I didn’t even get a job immediately after school, so it’s not like I was swimming in cash.
Some people even keep their Nigerian phone numbers to avoid the assumption that they’ve japa’d and now have money. But I don’t know how to pretend. I let people see the reality.
Has this perception affected your life?
Yes, to a large extent. Family, both mine and my wife’s, expects more from me now. Sometimes when I say I don’t have it, they think I’m lying or unwilling to help. That pressure is real.
Even in our local assembly (church community) back home, people ask for things, assuming I can afford them, but the truth is, most of my savings went into moving and settling down here. I didn’t get a job immediately, so I had to ensure my family at home was okay, from rent to school fees and food.
It’s affected me a lot, financially and emotionally. The demands have increased, but my income has not increased since I moved, especially with all the loans I had to take out for school. But people don’t care about your loans or financial reality.
I’m sorry about that. Are there things you find surprising about Canada?
The biggest one is that Canadians are very indirect. Nigerians are straightforward people; if something is wrong, we say it, but here? They’ll talk for 30 minutes and still not say what they mean. It’s frustrating.
I once had a colleague who scheduled a meeting that went on for 30 minutes, but I still couldn’t understand the point of the conversation. In class, too, it’s the same. They smile and laugh with you, but when issues come up, you can get blindsided because they don’t confront things directly. I’ve seen people lose jobs over things they didn’t even know were problems.
Another example is with lecturers. One lecturer lets us use our textbooks during class, but he acted differently and marked us strictly regarding grading. Meanwhile, another lecturer would be blunt and straightforward.
So yes, that passive-aggressive communication style was a shock for me. Nigerians generally don’t do that.
If you were to compare your life in Canada to your life in Nigeria, how different would you say it is?
Making a direct comparison would be unfair because Nigeria doesn’t really have a structure. That’s the major difference. We have good weather back home, but that’s about it. In terms of systems and support, it’s like night and day.
From the moment you land in Canada, you start seeing the structure. You arrive and get a SIN number, which is like your identity for work and tax; getting it is clear and straightforward.
The same applies to education and transportation. Getting into school is highly structured. Need a bus pass? You can easily get one. In need of a library? You can find them around almost every corner of my province.
If there’s a fire, the emergency response will arrive almost immediately. They don’t waste time. Things just work here, and I sincerely appreciate that.
The lifestyle is also refreshing and structured. The parks open up during spring, and there’s one everywhere. There’s a park close to where I live, and most residential areas have playgrounds, swimming pools, and game centres nearby, especially for children. These things are not luxuries here; they’re just part of the system. All of these things make life enjoyable here despite the financial struggles, so I’ll say life here is much better than what I had in Nigeria.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy would you say you are living in Canada?
I’d say I’m at a nine, honestly. If my partner were here with me, I’d probably rate it a 9.5. Not everything is perfect, but there’s a sense of peace and access. You can live decently, work as much as you want, and afford things.
For instance, if I want a new phone, I don’t need to pay for it all at once. I can get a brand-new iPhone today and pay monthly instalments, maybe a few dollars every two years. And that’s it. You’re sorted.
So yeah, I’m pleased. The only thing missing is having my family here with me. That’s the only gap, and maybe why I’d rate it more like an 8.5 emotionally. But overall? Canada has been good to me.
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).
