Japa Story: I’ve been in America for 17 years and I’ve never missed Nigeria

In those days the internet was only available to a few and very expensive. He was one of the many who didn’t have access to it.

With little to nothing information, he applied for a visa. In 2007, he was invited for a visa interview at the embassy and weeks later he got it and left the country. It’s been 17 years since Promise has been living in the US, rising through the ranks of corporate America.

In this week’s edition of our running series Japa Story, he opens up on what life has been like for him and why he would do it all over again.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

⁠My life in Nigeria was not that bad. This was many years ago and things were cheaper. Flight tickets were affordable and people were not leaving the country en masse the way it is happening now. When I left the country, leaving Nigeria for good with the plan of not returning was not as common. I left because I wanted better opportunities for myself.

It took me two years to process my migration, get a visa and land in the US. Remember it wasn’t a time when people were leaving because of school and I didn’t leave on a student visa. Things were not as digital as they are now. You had to wait for them to respond to you for months or you go to the embassy to check them. That was how the process was then. But after I did my interview I got my visa a few weeks later. I guess the backlog now was not as high then.

I went to North Carolina which at the time was a state that many Nigerians went to. It was and still has a thriving Nigerian community. But more Nigerians are opting to go to other countries these days and so the influx of us into North Carolina has dipped.

It was 17 years ago so I don’t remember how much it cost me. But I’m pretty sure it didn’t cost as much as coming to the US cost now. The proof of funds was not as high so I was able to use my personal funds for that.

I was culture-shocked. You can imagine coming to America from Nigeria for the first time. Now there is social media and everyone is online. Even though there was the internet then, it was still the days when people woke up to go on Twitter and post “Good morning.” There was so much that I didn’t have access to or even knew about the American culture. But when I got here, I moved in with a family member and that helped. They gave me support and accommodation.

In my first week, I didn’t do much. It was pretty laid back. I was mostly trying to adapt to my new reality. I didn’t get a job on time. And even when I did, I didn’t like the job. I did a lot of menial jobs to get income. It took me some time to get the kind of job I wanted; but eventually, I did in healthcare. I did that job while I was going to university and the sacrifice was worth it. I currently work in cybersecurity and it has been very rewarding.

Even though I have been here for a very long time, I still don’t miss Nigeria. I have actually never missed Nigeria. It doesn’t help with all the stories that one reads online and experiences that people share with me of the country.

I personally still remember what life was like there. It’s nothing compared to what my life is like now. In the US, if you work hard and you actually know your job, there are opportunities for you. I have heard people say you can only do menial jobs or how they have been working as taxi drivers for 20 years, etc.

First of all, there is dignity in labour here. But also, do you actually have the skills for the jobs that you prefer? People rarely answer those questions honestly when I ask them. But it is part of the problem.

I know someone who was a medical director in Nigeria for years and then he moved to the US. He didn’t pass the medical test here and he wrote it multiple times. He works for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases not as a doctor but in the disinfection department. He just wasn’t good enough.

In Nigeria, he might have been able to find his way because of the corrupt system but till tomorrow he will tell you that the reason he isn’t practising in America is because America is not good for immigrants.

In the early days, it can be hard. You need to remember that this is an entirely new country and your slate here is very clean. But it gets better if you work towards it.