Lagos Today, London Tomorrow
I walked towards Virgin Atlantic’s departure gate with teary eyes and my carry-on bag after hugging my loved ones goodbye two months ago.
In February, I applied for an endorsement by Tech Nation for the Global Talent visa after months of researching and putting my pieces of evidence together. I received an email, presumably containing their verdict, three weeks after. I took a deep breath before I opened it, and I scanned through.
When I moved back to Lagos in 2019, I knew I wanted to make something out of my life with product design. I have done great work, stayed up several nights, and been frustrated. Yet, my future depended on whether I would be recognized as a top tech talent in the world by the endorsement body.
The email read that Tech Nation had found me eligible for the Global Talent endorsement, and I could proceed to stage two of applying for the visa. I had jumped at Igbẹkẹle, shouting, “Oh my God. I got it.” over and over. We clinked glasses filled with American Honey and fruit juice in celebration. I called my parents and texted close friends aware of the application process to share the good news.
The reality of the upcoming change dawned on me three days later. I had spent most of January spiraling, heartbroken, sad, and despondent about the new year. My life, in a surprising twist, was about to change. I had never left home for so long or crossed the ocean to be away from my folks. The farthest I had lived away was during my service year when I moved from the SouthWest to Rivers State. That experience lasted for less than six months.
I didn’t process this move the way I should have. It felt like I was grieving and experiencing excitement at the same time. Grieving because the home I had known all my life had become difficult to live in. Grieving because I and thousands of others are leaving, in the quest for better lives that our country should be providing us.
No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. You only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well. — Warsan Shire
“This is really happening?”
There was suddenly a new beginning in front of me, in a country I had never been to before and so much to learn about. My phone and laptop worked overtime in the weeks that followed as I opened web tab after tab, trying to find out as much information as possible about life in my new country and things to do about migration. I reached out to folks I knew that had settled in the UK before me. Shoutout to everyone that helped in one way or another.
The following weeks were a mix of navigating my contractual job, making time to say goodbye to friends, and getting my Tuberculosis test plus biometrics identification for my visa application. I gave myself a month to sort these out. When I was sure I was ready, I booked my flight for April 15. As for packing, I couldn’t decide what to take with me. Living in a shared space for over two years helped me gather many personal effects and memorabilia. I watched tons of relocation YouTube videos and decided to carry two pieces of luggage.
From middle of March, I had palpitations frequently. I tried wrapping my head around the fact that I was leaving the place I was familiar with. I couldn’t just eat amala at will or go to South Socials to turn up with friends. In the same week I received the endorsement notice, the presidential elections in Nigeria happened. I felt sad about the results and possible effects on the country. Even when you’re not in Nigeria, you can still feel the people’s grievances back home.
On the bright side, I looked forward to seeing my baby sister after almost a year, meeting old and new friends, settling in a new apartment, and exploring experiences abroad. I could create a bucket list of things to do in the UK. I had planned to get the LASIK surgery done too. As it had been over 16 years of wearing glasses, I was tired.
“This is really happening!”
The week before my flight, I let myself settle into the reality that I was moving. My father followed me to Balogun market on his hesitance to buy luggage. He talked about how much he missed me already and he worried he wouldn’t be available to protect me there. When the week countdown began, I unboxed my traveling pieces of luggage, and I would randomly drop an item or two here and there.
I let myself plan for a hangout with the people that have been a part of my Lagos experience. I didn’t expect to get so teary-eyed, but I had some of the best times in Lagos, and I will forever be grateful to everyone that was a part of that. We had an incredible garden dinner and went to South on the Beach afterward, partied till 4 am. I could feel the love, and I was already missing everyone.
That week, I did a complete body health checkup and had my teeth polished. I also got the signature relocation braids hairstyle haha. I stopped by the pharmacy the day before my flight to pick up medications. Although my physical health has been tremendous this year, I didn’t want to take any chances. In the afternoon, my mother arrived at my house from Ibadan. I had dinner with her and my dad. We talked about life and how things would be going forward. It was bittersweet.
On getting home, I finished packing my bags and packed so many memorabilia. I am quite the memory hoarder. My box nearly refused to close. I squeezed everything into the two pieces of luggage and settled for a long nap. I was up at 3 am, as my flight was for 9 am, and I needed to be at the airport at least 3 hours before. It was spring in London, I learned, but I still had a coat with me. Quite funny because I didn’t expect the cold that slapped me in the face when I stepped out of Heathrow.
At 4 am, my parents got ready, and I scanned around my Yaba apartment for one last time. When my friend driving me to the airport arrived at 4:30 am, I tried hard to fight back tears. My father loaded my bags into the car, I hugged my housemate goodbye, and she cried. The road was clear, and we got to the airport around 5 am. When I checked in and received my boarding pass, we found seats at a restaurant in the airport and waited for my flight to be called. We laughed and reminisced about old memories.
My flight was called at 8 am, and I took pictures with my folks. The photos were a mess as my eyes were so red from tears. At the entrance of the boarding gate, I hugged them goodbye and wept. My father said to be a strong babe, but can I help that I love them so much and didn’t want to be away from them? The immigration officers teased me and asked if I would rather stay. Stay where? After I have cleared out my space and paid NHS fees?
Boarding was unnecessarily long, and trust Nigerian immigration personnel to ask for money. The Wilson Brothers were deep in their bags when they made the airplane though. What an innovation. I am thankful to the babes who comforted me when the tears started again as the plane ascended. Lagos slowly became distant from my window until it was just clouds I could see.
As Sound Sultan said, “No matter where you go, make you no forget area.”
“Welcome!”
My flight took over six hours, and I mainly slept through it. I tried to pass the time with movies and the in-flight music playlist, which needed to be more comprehensive. The in-flight Wi-Fi was not working, and I regretted not downloading my playlists on Spotify. I landed at Heathrow around 3:30 pm and made my way towards immigration. It was amusing how there were several lines for different passport types. Again I wondered what sin I must have committed to deserve the Nigerian passport?
When I got to the front of the long queue, the next available immigration officer beckoned me over. I learned they could sometimes scrutinize new immigrants. I had crammed the address of where I was going and information about my host prior to avoid delay if asked.
“What are you here for?” He asked.
“Work.” I replied.
“What do you do?”
“Product Design.”
He nodded his head in seeming approval and stamped my passport.
“Welcome to the UK.”
I dragged my carry-on luggage to baggage claim and waited to pick up my other bags. After this, I moved to the arrival lounge to wait for my host, Adebimpe. God bless her. I called my parents over Whatsapp with the airport Wi-Fi, and they were relieved to hear I had arrived. I will later find out my mother fell sick for a week following my departure. She was too heartbroken, even from the airport.
I purchased the O2 network SIM, and we went to the train station. We began the journey to Leicester, which I have made home for now. She popped a bottle of Prosecco, which we drank when we were settled, gisting, and stuffed with Jollof rice.
“Welcome to the UK.” She said.
I stared out the window, saw the city lights, and sighed. I prayed that this place would favour me. I prayed that it would be everything I hoped for and more.
“What Next?”
The weeks over here are pretty much the same. Everyone establishes a routine they follow — wake, bath, work, lunch break, more work, sleep. There are other things like a walk, gym or some other fitness activity. Then Friday night, the city gets social. Free times are for resting, cleaning, visiting friends, traveling, or catching up over brunch.
The cultural shocks I have experienced have been minimal. I have enjoyed the transport system and how easy it is to move between places. It is cool to follow transport updates in real-time too. I enjoy walks now and looking out for cute dogs to pet.
I have been cooking more, as my experience with the meals here have been strange. I went to Tesco the other day, bought sweet potatoes I cooked, and had to trash them because they tasted like nothing from home. Getting accommodation can be tricky because there are so many guidelines to follow and checks to vet whether you’re eligible to rent. It took me over a month to finalize renting my space, but I now enjoy decorating each part of my apartment.
Job hunting in the UK as a Nigerian is a whole challenge. For very vague reasons, I have had my fair share of getting rejections, even in the final stage of interviews. Some people will attribute it to a lack of UK experience, others shrug it off and keep applying anyway. My job search experience from last year has built my resilience in this area, as these rejections barely get to me now. I am a top talent in my career and an expert in what I do. If a company decides I don’t match what they’re looking for, I will still be a badass at what I do. If you have Product Design or UI/UX Design opportunities within the UK or Europe, my LinkedIn is live here, and I am happy to meet to chat.
Between settling down, I have had good help from friends, acquittances, and strangers. I am grateful to know I will always find my people, no matter how lonely it might be at first. Discovering new experiences is one thing I was keen on with this move, and there are endless things to see in the UK. I have been to two shows — ISWIS and Asa’s live concert, which was phenomenal. I went to Scotland last week, came home with a phone full of good memories, and caught hay fever. It was worth it.
It has taken deliberate efforts to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. While it can be hard to make out time to catch up, we still remember to send memes on social media, check in often over text, and schedule calls. I miss my people in Nigeria a lot. Constantly thinking about the next time I will get to see them.
My initial fear about the UK move is turning into curiosity and interest in adventure. I will be fine here when I am properly settled. There are still some things I don’t understand, but I am glad I am present here for the multitude of daily experiences.
I am in a better position to make something of myself and for future generations. After all, I have succeeded in “escaping” Nigeria. I intend to still visit home as often as I can. But Lord knows, no one should have to leave a place they love because things just aren’t working. I pray for grace for everyone, for resilience and peace of mind.
God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
June 15. 3:27 pm.