HIVENAIJA PROMPT: LEAVING NIGERIA? JAPA WITH SENSE

WHY AM I STILL HERE?

For everytime I ve been asked why I am still in NIgeria, If I got 1 hive for it, I could have been a whale by now.
Everyone who reads my Doctor rants knows me, I sound so much like an anti Nigerian stayer if there is anything as such,I rant about the Nigerian space and things happening around and I often even rant about the health care system. But you ll be missing out a lot if you think I do this because I dont want the best for the country or that I dont want to stay in Nigeria.

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Photo by Joe Darams on Unsplash

Should I need to say that Nigeria is blessed. Even amidst the whole corruption, it is not enough to hide the blessings, stating the fact. What we often miss is that this corrupt practices are right at everyone's door step and they just want to jump out of the country as a way of switching their mind away from the seeming shit things happening.

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But like a friend once asked me, where can you run to?

Of course everyone is free to take up nationalities anywhere in the world, many have several of it but then there is a saying that states "there is no place like home".
I feel we may not really understand what a Nation is, it is a property right to be a national of a country. You own and are owned by the country, if you misbehave anywhere you run to they ll return you to your home. This Nigeria is home to all of us and if we all run to never return, posterity will judge us.

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The deluge seems to be coming from the fake life people who are in the 'abroad' seem to be showcasing as a 'me sef come obodo oyinbo' thingy. Sweaters and jeans with some snow in the background, and all we believe about a changed life is a .jpeg .
Do you know there are professional photographers there who can make you fulfil your destiny in just one snapshot picture while you leave, pay for their services ofcourse. They know you are coming to form and so they create a franchise from it and they survive too. Lol.

Immigration should not be a thing of joy really, except you are travelling with your entire family and moving them on asylum or something. Home is not just a place afterall, it is the people.

Its all business. Recently I have seen a lot of adverts for Doctors being needed to come work in several other countries and to be pay some lump sum, in my head really I see it as the modern day slave train know as 'brain trade'.. oh yeah, it results in the brain drain we all know.

It is practically a business model we all may not totally figure out in the context of this post, but if you know, you know. They have medical schools, why are they not pumping more of their kids to go to these schools, why are they not lowering scores to get into these universities and making more doctors come from there, why are the Doctors in their countries also migrating.. yeah.. thats what you probably didnt know, Doctors are migrating everywhere, its not the last bus stop, so its best to make your decision by your self and know what you are doing.

It is more expensive to train a Dr than to pay a Dr, even less when the Dr is foreign trained and working for some stipends that will return with value added taxes and all. It is more win for them.

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For me, I have chosen to waitout these times, observe and improve myself. Everyone is desperate and wants to get out, I respect a lot of colleagues who go out for some masters and probably residency and they get to stay there, or eventually come back, I totally do not go against them, my point is , dont just go because everyone is going and you have the means, "Japa with sense".

Have a game plan, an end game like a friend will say, be wise about these things, Abraham did not just leave his father's country, he had help, lol. The best help at that, you may end up ruining your future if your immigration plan works well without a good long term plan. Someone else who left his Father's house was the proverbial prodigal son, we all understand what SAPA can do right?

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Have a plan

There is almost no easy way to get out there these days without a work visa or a school visa, both of which has durations based on the institutions concerned, anything else is either you re touring or visiting which will bring us back to square one. So add to yourself and get knowledge, go for a degree, paid or scholarship, if you do not improve yourself, you ll be a destitute whereever the country, make your self valuable and they wont resist you.

One the flip side, to go abroad no be by force too.
As a Doctor, It is a pretty cool idea to remain in Nigeria and practice here in the country, there are a lot of good reason to stay for the profession too, despite the pressure to leave, na plan matter.

IF YOU READ TO THIS POINT, HERE ARE MY FUNNY REASONS, {NOT FUNNY THOUGH}, TO CONSIDER STAYING BACK.

If you can sort out these in your mind then byebye.. but if these things will be an issue for you abeg, Na you be Comrade.
One of these reason is the food. oh my God, this had to be the first because a was on a video call with a friend somewhere outside just yesterday and he was bold enough to tell me he misses eating amala...chaaiii.
I couldnt hold my wonder.. I cant joke with Nigerian food, not to talk of being starved of it and be eating salty salty food like he called it. I cant..stand buying the food I love at close to 100x the price I can get it here because I travelled.

In another discussion with another colleague in another country, he spoke about finding a crocs slippon which was being sold for 40 pounds. My friend went onto beg anyone coming over to please help him bring one along long, he couldnt stand it I guess.

The increased pay or salaries for services may be mouth watering but you see, these countries have their way of recirculating those resources back into the economy. Things are also more expensive, and taxes are higher and enforced, you are practically in the eye of the tax agencies.

Na who loneliness help

loneliness go kee you.

I remember these words well from a friend who was really desperate about leaving Nigeria and walking away never to return, he is now away, and has so much time, but he is freeking scared and lonely. He keeps complaining of wishing he had married before leaving.. lol. He also misses Nigerian girls, and those in diaspora and mostly too smart for him too lool.

Racism... you bet it still exists in even that country you have in mind right now, a tweet about a black footballer is currently making the waves, the black skin is still seen as terrifying to many ill minds, and they just cant stand it, I propose a research be done to assess these people because for some, especially in the law enforcement, they have delusions about any black skinned nigga being into crimes, drugs or streets. and that is sad. I wouldnt wanna be a victim of some attack by white mobs, or being treated as less than a human being because I'm in another man's land.

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On a last note, I like you all to have a change of lingua. Stop saying you cant make it in Nigeria, stop closing the door on your self with your mouth, stop putting a barrier in your mind about your success in Nigeria. If you must know, some people have found that same success story you wanna fit into. Make your own story. The Nigeria we all want doesnt exist, it is this Nigeria we all need that we can make happen, think about it.

God willing if I have the means, I would love to tour to a lot of countries and see how life is being spent there, and probably get a few more degrees as well but it is a great pleasure to have me be in my country and extend my services to the entire world. And that is what I believe will curb this menace of migration from an under developed nation to developed and absorbent ones.

Thanks for reading.