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.
Even though Dickson (27) grew up in Germany, he had been trying to leave because nothing about the country felt like home. In this story, he talks about growing up Nigerian in Germany, the crushing racism he experienced, and his move to the UK.
Where do you live currently, and when did you leave Nigeria?
I live in London, United Kingdom (UK). I am fully Nigerian, but I was born in Germany. I left in 2021 to come to the UK.
Have you visited Nigeria before?
Yes, I have. I actually just returned after my grandma’s funeral. This recent visit was my fourth time in Nigeria.
How were the visits?
They have generally been really good, but the one that has stuck out the most through the years was my first visit. I was only a child, and it was also the first time I ever travelled anywhere. It’s still fresh in my memory; It was with my mum, and we went out a couple of times to eat authentic Nigerian food.
My mum is a good cook, and I’ve always eaten authentic Nigerian food. I cook as well, but eating in Nigeria was just different.
Nigeria is a lively and loud (but in a warm way) place, and my visits have generally been so nice.
That’s beautiful. Let’s talk about Germany; why did you leave?
Germany has never been nice to me. It simply wasn’t the place for me, and I knew this even as a child. I was only eight years old when I first wanted to leave, but I obviously couldn’t leave because of my mum.
I always wanted to live in the same country as my other relatives in the UK and the US. The UK was the quickest way to leave because it’s a European country and right next to Germany.
Do you mind sharing the reasons you didn’t enjoy Germany?
The racism in Germany was overwhelming. Everything was extra hard because I looked different. They don’t treat you nicely, they don’t care to listen, and they make no attempt to make life easier for you, even a little bit.
At school, they treat you like shit. I apologise for my language, but that’s how it was for me. I’ve spoken about this on my TikTok multiple times, especially the school systems.
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What’s that about?
In Germany, primary school education runs from years 1 to 4, and secondary schools are divided into categories: secondary schools for the smart, semi-smart, and then one for slower or more difficult children.
After the fourth year of primary school, teachers are required to recommend the secondary school their students should attend. I was the only black kid in my class of 30, and I was the only one my teacher recommended for the last category because she said I was dumb.
Having no say over it, I went to the school she sent me to, but I was switched to the school for semi-smart students because my grades were far too good for the one I was in.
That’s really bad. I’m sorry you had to experience that.
Thank you. That’s just one of the ways they make things difficult for you. My parents didn’t have it easy either. Because they couldn’t speak German, I explained all government letters to them and often went with them to government offices for the same purpose. I saw a lot of things, and let me tell you, they weren’t nice things.
That must have sucked. Were there any positive sides to your time in Germany?
That’s a good question, but I unfortunately couldn’t answer it properly even if I tried. I feel this question would be much more suited for someone who has fully lived there as an adult. I can’t tell you anything good right away because I spent my childhood, teenage years, and early adult life there. Sure, I had some fun whenever I attended festivals with my friends and cousins, but that’s pretty much it.
London is far better. There are many things to do here, and more opportunities.
What was the weather and food in Germany like?
I lived in western Germany, where it always rains. Apart from the one month in summer, when we had nice weather, it was always almost grey.
I can’t really say much about the food because I grew up in a fully Nigerian home and my mum always, always made Nigerian food. It’s actually most recently that she started attempting to make European dishes.
So, what do you do now in the UK?
I’m currently at the University, working two jobs. One of them is as an au pair, a live-in nanny.
What made you get into being an au pair?
I not only like working with children, but it’s more like a gift from God. It just comes naturally to me. I’ve been taking care of kids since I was a kid myself. I was only ten when I had to watch my younger cousins, so it’s always been easy.
Being an au pair was also one of the easiest ways to leave Germany, so it just worked.
Nice. So, what are your plans after university?
I’m currently studying Computer Science. I would love to get into tech once I’m done.
You’ve been in the UK for five years. What’s been your best experience so far?
I’ve had so many great experiences, but my best moments are probably the time I travel with the children. We went to Paris two weeks ago, and it was really fun, not just because it was Paris, but because it was with the kids. Earlier, you asked me if being an au pair is fulfilling; it is. I’ve wanted to do this since I was a teenager, but couldn’t because of my mum.
That’s lovely. What have been the worst moments?
There was a period when I thought I’d have to leave the UK and move back to Germany. Those were the absolute worst times I’ve had here.
I was trying to get into school, and there was a lot of back-and-forth about my English proficiency. Because my parents couldn’t speak German, I grew up with English as my first language and picked up German in nursery school. So, obviously, I can speak English, but I had a hard time proving this to school authorities, seeing as my A-level certificate was in German.
So there was a period of uncertainty over my stay in the UK, and it weighed heavily on me. Thankfully, it worked out, and I was admitted to the university.
How do you feel about the recent anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK, given the racism you experienced in Germany?
Racism is everywhere, but it matters what the system does to combat it, and that’s exactly the difference between living in the UK and Germany. If you experience racism in Germany, you’re pretty much left on your own to deal with it. In the UK, however, you can actually sue someone for being racist. It was a shock to me.
Sure, it might not always work, but just knowing that the system put something in place is reassuring.
So, have you experienced racism at all in the UK?
I have. But it hasn’t come directly from white people; it’s mostly been from other foreigners.
Once, when I had just moved here, I went to the corner shop to buy something, and the Pakistani guy who owned it kept following me around because he saw I was black and thought I was going to steal something.
I haven’t really been around white people enough to experience racism from them; it’s just been other minorities.
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That’s interesting. It’s not something we always hear
I can see how that would be interesting, but I also experienced racism from minorities in Germany.
One clear example was when I wanted to move out of my mum’s house and was looking for an apartment. I was the only black person among all the people who had lined up to see a particular shared apartment. There were some Turkish guys and a bunch of white people, and then there was me.
After we had all seen the apartment and were filing out, I was stopped and told that it couldn’t work out. I was so hurt at being the only one who got that response that I asked them aloud if it was because of my skin colour. They just looked at each other.
So, would you say the UK has lived up to your expectations?
It definitely has. I’m still introverted, but I’m more outgoing than I ever was in Germany.
That sounds so nice. Were there any culture shocks that you experienced when you moved to the UK?
Not exactly. The only thing that I had to adjust to was the traffic. In Germany, it’s on the right, but here, it’s on the left.
Everything else is pretty much the same. It rains here just as much as it does in Germany, and I really haven’t experienced the British cuisine. I’m a very Nigerian guy; I enjoy Nigerian food and cook everything myself.
What’s your favourite and least favourite thing about London?
I love how multicultural London is, and I love that there’s always an option for anything you want to do. You will always find a function to go to.
My least favourite thing is the amount of planning and time that goes into moving from one end to the other.
Do you ever see yourself permanently moving to Nigeria in the future?
I love Nigeria, and I feel at ease anytime I visit. I would definitely want to move there someday, but only if the politics get better. Obviously, every country has its own version of problematic politics, but Nigeria’s is just something else. I know Nigeria has the potential to be great, and I hope it happens soon.
On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in the UK?
It’s a solid eight out of ten. I’m not rating it an eight because something is missing; I just believe things can be better, no matter where I am. I could always have more money, more time, and less stress.
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