Why Some Nigerians Living Abroad Do Not Want to Come Back

More Nigerians come home to visit every year between December 15 and January 15, than at any other period in the year. I would estimate the number to be between 250,000 and half-a-million who arrive in the country by road, by sea, and by air – with the majority making the pilgrimage from Britain, Canada, and the United States. Increasingly, a greater number are coming in from Southern Africa and from the West African sub-region.
For many Nigerians, especially those living in the west, this is about the only time they can get time-off from their busy and scheduled life. And so, they treasure such times: to visit their homeland, to reconnect with friends and families; and to bask in the familiar. If you have been away for a while, there is this joy, this euphoric feeling that washes over you as you step on the grounds of your ancestors. Things may have changed for good or for bad, or for worse; still, there is this happiness that envelops you.
You need not say it, and no one need tell you, you just know it – you know this is your home. This is where you belong, the country where your umbilical cord was lovingly cut. Depending on how long you’ve been gone or how your experiences were abroad, you may even shed a tear. Tear of joy. At the very least, your eyes well up. And your heart may even skip a beat or two. It is always nice to come back home.
For many, the trip serves as a dry run to see if indeed it is time to finally relocate. Even though migration is part of the human experience, it is also one of the most painful of all experiences. But the degree of pain may depend on several factors: why they migrated; their failures and accomplishments; their general experiences abroad; the duration of their sojourn; and what may be waiting for them once they return home.
There was a time when the end goal of most émigrés was to return home once their mission was accomplished. Data may show that 80 per cent or more of Nigerians who left for Europe and for North America between 1952 and 1972, returned home. Data may also show that the number of returnees began to decline in 1976/77, and alarmingly by 1985. Between 1990 and 2005, some 90 per cent knew they were not returning to that “messed up country” any time soon.
Today, that number is about 98 per cent. Nigerians are moving to countries they otherwise wouldn’t consider. They are “checking out” to God-forsaken and far-flung places. It didn’t matter if these places are war zones, famine-ridden places, or places that were as cold or as hot as hell. Anywhere but Nigeria! Some even brave the hostility of the Sahara Desert just to get to Europe.
Many Nigerians living in the US would love to settle down in Nigeria. But many just talk and dream of returning home without actually implementing their plans. For some, it may not be a good time to move if the kids are still in primary or secondary school. This seems to be one of the discouraging factors especially if you consider the state of the Nigerian educational system.

There may also be a debate between husband and wife: one partner may want to return, but the other opposes it. And so it becomes a question of timing. You may also have other considerations, i.e. the number of years before retirement or before social security payments kicks in; if there are home mortgages to be made; what will be your source of income in Nigeria; do you have a permanent home; can you readily adjust your attitude to fit the Nigerian setting?

But really, many Nigerians living abroad have nothing to return home to; and on the average, it takes the typical Nigerian (in the US) 15-30 years to finally relocate. As they contemplate returning home, many will wonder if they will ever measure up to friends and family members who did not leave the country. And once they get home, many would be amazed to see friends and family who are now in positions of authority and have more money in their accounts than the returnee. After all these years in the US, I can barely get by. And so, in some ways, I envy my friends who never left. Nonetheless, I do not regret leaving Nigeria.
Every year I hear about Nigerians who returned home to success. Yet, I hear many more stories that may discourage even the bravest and the most gifted – Nigerians who return home and then run back to the US after a year or two (with horrible personal experiences in tow): tales of insecurity, non-functioning infrastructure, and of a weak and collapsing state. You hear tales of private and public violence (armed robbers, cults and gang activities, kidnappings and assassinations).
But above all else, it is the simple things that make life wonderful and joyous and meaningful and which are in short supply that’s the most deciding factor for many Nigerians. And, especially for me. For instance, do I want a cheeseburger with bacon or with mushrooms? Or both. Is there hot water in my shower or not? Or for that matter, is the tap running? And if I feel a sharp pain in my chest, would I or my loved ones be able to summon medical help?
And if I feel aggrieved, would I be able to seek redress in the court of law? In other words, choice and freedom! The freedom to choose or to refuse to choose. To be able to propagate my liberal and progressive views; to think for myself and be allowed independent actions so long as I am not violating properly constituted laws. I love Nigeria. And I want back in. But the space is just too limiting and tasking for me and for many others.