4 Nigerians in Canada on Things Best known Before Migrating

So, Canada?

Canada is a hot spot for Nigerians to relocate. It offers a stable economy, top-tier education in internationally recognized schools, a thriving economy, better healthcare than Nigeria, security, employment opportunities and also the fact that it does not take as much time as other countries to get permanent residence.

A lot of young people wanting a better life for themselves choose this country because it has a lot of security that Nigeria can not provide right now. 

Have you been thinking about japa and Canada has been coming up a lot in your research or maybe you even have a lot of friends that have migrated to that region and you have been wondering if it’s for you too, wondering if there is room there for you to thrive and have an amazing career, education and even life?

Maybe it is even the mundane but not-so-mundane things you worried about, like your favourite Nigerian food, maybe you worried about whether you’d be able to eat amala, ewedu, gbegiri and ogunfe over there, or maybe you’re like me and Oha and garri is your jam or maybe you wondered if you’d be able to get your favourite Ghana weaving hairstyle done or something else entirely? Then this is for you.

For you, I spoke to some Nigerians over there, asking them to share 5 things they wish Nigerians coming to Canada should know. They crawled so you could walk, they jumped so you could fly and they made mistakes so you would not have to.  

They share their experiences with you:

Tunde

•  Everywhere is ‘far’ in Canada. A 45-minute drive is nothing here. Draw the context for seeing friends and family on regular bases. 2-3 hour drives to and fro are normal
•  Do NOT be pressured into survival mode. The mindset of thriving is very needed to choose where to live, how to live, where to work and what jobs/places/communities you won’t consider
• You’ll discover the Naija community is growing here but they won’t be as open to receiving you as other nationalities like Indians or Europeans. To them, you’re ‘interesting’
•  Really focus on dumbing down your standard of living. Lowest cost. Try to hold it there for as long as possible
• Listen loosely to what advice people (especially fellow Nigerians) tell you to do. Experiences vary wildly based on your starting points in Naija. Opportunities are so different based on your economic starting points before landing here.

Minah

• Ok so, the first thing is the culture here a lot of Canadians were trained to smile at first contact, like they smile a lot
• The second is, to mind your business alottttttt. Don’t go and put mouth is what doesn’t concern you
• Third is animals and most especially children are highly regarded.

Lily

As a Nigerian over here, here are a few things I wish Nigerians know before coming over, 

• There’s Nigerian food here
•  You don’t have to start from scratch 
•  Don’t waste money buying winter wares from Nigeria 
• There are so many resources for newcomers (job placements, Govt paid trainings etc)
•  Sign up with job agencies, if you’re job hunting
• Network!!! Connect with different communities. Reach out to successful people in your field for advice (everyone has a different path) 
• If you are a student, connect with your international student’s office, understand the different paths to PR 8 and get your information from official sources. Not “he said”, “she said”

Dumebi

• You have to be ready to adapt to the harsh, cold winter

• You’re gonna be paying a lot of bills although the minimum wage is high ranging from different province but bills are for sure gonna eat into your paycheck

• Lastly, be ready to be bi-lingual because Canada is a bilingual country
• I wish Nigerians should come to Canada seriously mindedly to avoid any activity that would trigger the government to deport them because Canada has very strict laws and they fail not to enforce its laws

I truly believe that you personally don’t have to be the one to make mistakes or have certain experiences before you can learn. You can learn from watching, reading and hearing from other people. I actually believe that is one of the best ways to learn.

First-hand experiences from people like you who struck out and started a new life in a new country and have survived, and not just survived but thrived in new countries, living and leading good lives.

So, tell me, would you be going to Canada? Do you think this article would be some sort of guide for you? Would you like to also share your experiences with us after you get there or would you want to talk to Nigerians in that region? talk to us.

As always, we wish you all the best in your Japa journey.