Iddo, Abuja — In 2023, Adedokun Debbie* left Nigeria in search of a better life for herself and, most importantly, to get dual citizenship for her kids. This is after over a decade of outstanding work in the nation’s banking sector, where she held leadership positions in two banks in Lagos, the country’s commercial epicentre. “In Nigeria, I was [very] comfortable, I had help who helped with the kids and got activities planned for them. Here, no help, and I have to do a lot of things myself,” she told Diaspora Africa.
Upon arriving in Canada, life took a new turn for Debbie. From ever-changing immigration laws to job scarcity and even the need for schooling for about two years, she was frustrated. She questioned her decision to leave for someone who was doing well back in Nigeria, as the branch manager of a fast-growing bank. For two years, she was unable to work due to her studies, so the rising cost of living crisis in the foreign country took a significant toll on her savings.
“Now, things have changed. This is not the same way they used to be when I first came here,” she noted.
Beyond the shores
For a while now, Nigerians have been travelling beyond the shores of the country to become citizens in other countries, with Canada being a preferred destination, causing significant human and intellectual flight for the African giant.
However, life is not rosy overseas. Akua Agboagye, a US-based lawyer with expertise in immigration, said resettling in a new country is rarely easy. “Many immigrants face not only legal and financial challenges, but also emotional and mental strain. The pressure to succeed, uncertainty about status, culture shock, and isolation from familiar support systems can take a serious toll on individuals. These struggles are often silent but very real parts of the immigrant experience,” Agboagye explained.
“But in countries like Nigeria and Ghana, the system seems to work against the citizens as poor infrastructure, limited opportunities, and corruption often block progress, so people have no choice but to leave once they have the wherewithal. “Unless you are well-connected, hard work alone rarely leads to success, and that reality leaves many feeling frustrated and stuck,” the legal practitioner observed.
Finding a fix
In search of answers on how to deal with her new realities, Debbie hopped on an X space where she learned about a WhatsApp platform that helps newcomers like her resettle and find jobs in the country.
“The group has really been so beneficial to me. The interview tips were really helpful for me to get my current job, and the motivations from different members boosted my morale, helping me to believe that people doing high-class jobs aren’t smarter than me. It really helped me navigate the workspace here because coming with my vast years of experience and getting here with people telling you that you have to start from scratch seems surprising, it is really crucial to be with a group that pushes you to shoot higher,” said Debbie, who now works as a business analyst at JD Irving Limited, manufacturing conglomerate in Canada.
The WhatsApp group (Nigerian Canadian Life) was created by Adebanke Falade, a communications specialist, on March 10, 2024. It evolved from Twitter Spaces, which Falade began holding in 2022 after relocating to Canada. The group educates, shares job tips & opportunities with newcomers, helping these immigrants navigate career transitions and professional growth while creating a safe community where people can interact freely and share their stories.
It has four people doing the administrative work: Falade, Uche Ughonu, the community moderator, and two other volunteers. It does this through Zoom lecture sessions, job referrals, interview preparations, resume reviews and peer review for free. Ughonu told this outlet that he and other admins go on LinkedIn scouting for opportunities to share with the group and respond to questions on a daily basis.
Currently, it has approximately 2,500 members, covering individuals in various fields including tech, health, law, anti-money laundering, customer success, talent acquisition, and French language learning. Like Debbie, Tomi Waziri, a visually-impaired content creator, is another member of the WhatsApp group . Before relocating to Canada, he worked as an Uber driver in Lagos, where he was robbed and shot in the eye with a local gun by armed bandits.
Looking for any medical possibilities regarding his sight, he also left Nigeria in 2023 with his family. But it is nothing short of lonely moments. Thanks to technology that made him come across the group online, where he found a strong “sense of belonging and assistance.”
“There was a time when people were supporting my wife with getting a car in the group. Also, there was a time I was struggling with rent, and someone from an X space hosted by the group reached out and sent us some money, which was very helpful to my family at the time,” Waziri told Diaspora Africa.
Therapy on the internet
Falade, popularly known as Banks, got the inspiration to create the group after her relocation experience in April 2022, which came with various challenges.
“I was facing job uncertainties, adjusting to a new culture, and navigating life in a new country. Even though I was living with my sister at the time, the sense of isolation and starting over was still very real,” she recounted.
During that period, the author spent a considerable amount of time on X as a means of staying connected to her roots and maintaining her sanity. Then, one day, she stumbled upon the Nigerian community in the UK on a social media network.
Drawn to how people easily share their ordeals and ask questions in the space, with brisk answers, she vowed to replicate the same for people coming into Canada from Nigeria. A conversation with a friend further cemented her resolve.
“That was how I began my own Twitter Spaces, talking about our shared experiences, helping people navigate job search struggles and many other things. What started as a conversation is now a big community.”
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s also rewarding. Watching the group evolve into this self-sustaining, supportive space has made all the effort worth it,” she added.
Not without barriers
Despite the success stories the group has recorded since its inception, challenges abound. One, Falade said, there is a problem of capacity. “Our community has grown so quickly, but our leadership team is still relatively small. About five tutors are teaching people different skills in different fields.”
Additionally, documentation is another challenge, as the group has not formally tracked success stories for a considerable time. This lack of documentation makes it difficult to obtain testimonials, thereby making it harder to measure the impacts.
Amidst working to solve the barriers, Ughonu noted that what keeps them is seeing fellow countrymen succeed.
“I’m passionate about community building. I want a situation whereby we need to do well in our field and challenge everyone to be the best person they can be and ensure that we are not limiting ourselves with the country we come from and the colour of our skin.”
Writer: Mohammed Taoheed
Editors: Beatrice Nwoko, Amaka Obioji
Image: Diaspora Africa
