My people, make I yan you uma for Naija expat life for North Africa wey e no easy at all!
One wise woman, Dr. Anthonia Eddo, wey be the Secretary General of Nigerians for Middle East and North Africa, don open mouth give us lowdown on how Naija people dey survive for dat side.
She talk say she grow for Lagos, come move go Ghana for her first degree because she no wan enter wahala wey dem call JAM. No be small thing to pass exam for Naija, e be like say dem dey test how well you fit cram rather than how your brain dey function. So, she branch go learn French for Winneba, Ghana, and after that, she land back for Naija for her master’s and doctorate degrees.
Fast-forward to her first job wey carry her go Tunisia, our babe jam beautiful place o! But as she sabi Naija food wella, she still miss am well well. She get this gist wey she talk about how she meet some beninese guys wey dey surprise say as Naija expatriate, she fit live like say she dey Banana Island. Dem no fit believe!
Nigerians dey hustle for North Africa, but the matter no be sweet as some dey do menial jobs, wey no good for human being at all. Many of dem dey travel through desert and sea, risking life just to find better life.
But as dem dey talk say ‘where money dey, Naija people go show face’, Dr. Eddo don help many ‘naijas’ with development programs wey go make dem fit shine their shine. Every month, she dey run programs wey go help dem learn skills wey fit help dem make money online. If you be cleaner, you fit still make good cash!
Dem dey do collaboration with other Nigerian communities wey don waka go different countries, make sure say even after dem leave the Middle East, dem still dey get beta support.
She yarn about how she land job with Aramco School wey be big oil company for Saudi Arabia after she don hustle well. Dis job no be ‘carry go’ matter, some people still get wrong perception about Naija professionals.
As she dey run the community for Nigerians abroad, she dey push for ODIES as well, say the goment suppose do much more to help Naija people dey settle for foreign lands. No be only to issue passport! The image of Naija people dey cruise for outside, and e need correction.
Dr. Eddo no even dey play, she don share her own waka wey make her leave Naija. She describe how one terrible accident wey scatter her leg almost scatter her life, and how she no fit just sit down dey wait for ‘better life’ to find am for Naija again.
Now she dey inspire and support many other Naija people to shine their eyes and better their lives abroad. Na as she tell am, we fit make am anywhere, even if na for North Africa be dat!
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