Winter in Chicago had always been unforgiving. The temperatures plummet and the wind-chill becomes a silent, deadly adversary. For Marcus Faleti, the cold proved fatal. On January 1, 2017, at exactly 12:09 a.m., the 58-year-old succumbed to hypothermia and alcoholism, the temperature biting through the meagre layers of his existence.

The wind-chill that night registered at 18 degrees. It was a lethal cold that Faleti could no longer fight. Homeless and impoverished, he was found lifeless at the Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Centre, a tragic end to a life marked by relentless suffering.

Born in Nigeria, Faleti left for the United States 24 years ago, with dreams of prosperity and a better life in Chicago. The bustling metropolis, with its towering skyscrapers and promises of opportunity, seemed worlds away from his homeland. But as the years passed, the glittering façade of the American dream began to fade off, revealing a stark and unforgiving reality. Faleti watched helplessly as his dreams morphed into a nightmare of destitution and despair.

For over fifteen years, he lived from hand to mouth, sleeping rough on the streets of Chicago. His days were marked by a relentless struggle for survival, scavenging for food and seeking refuge from the elements. His clothing, tattered and inadequate, offered little protection against the city’s harsh winters. Each gust of wind pierced through his bedraggled attire, chilling him to the bones.

Faleti was a familiar figure in Wicker Park, often seen pushing his shopping cart overflowing with scavenged items or sitting on a bench reading the Sun-Times or Wall Street Journal. Despite his dire circumstances, he remained a voracious reader, a testament to the intellectual spark that never left him. “He was a good influence on everyone. Everyone liked him. He was a big newspaper reader and a very smart man,” recalled Nick Nixon, a friend who had known him since 1992, from their days as day labourers.

Faleti had a profound impact on those around him, with his intelligence and kindness leaving a lasting impression. Yet for 15 years, the streets of Chicago became his home, a stark contrast to the sheltered life he once knew in Nigeria. Despite the brutally cold winters, Faleti often refused to go to a homeless shelter, fearing for the safety of his cherished shopping cart filled with his few possessions.

He had an adult daughter in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but their connection had long been lost to the miles and years that separated them.

Clare Rodriguez, a Chicago Park District supervisor, reflected, “Marcus was a part of the fabric of this park. He was a kind man and an icon of Wicker’s grounds.”

While the 58-year-old’s death is a sombre reminder of the fragile lives led by the homeless, his story isn’t just about a man who Japa (Japa stitches together the Yoruba expression já pa, meaning “to run” or “flee” as ascribed to migration) and died in the cold; it is about a dream that got frozen and shattered.

Faleti’s struggle with addiction and homelessness further highlights the harsh realities faced by migrants who seek a better life but find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty and despair.

The lawyer who died doing care work

Seven years after Faleti’s death, another tragedy unfurled, this time in the United Kingdom. Chidimma Susan Ezenyili, affectionately known as Suzy, was a Nigerian lawyer who relocated to the UK to work as a caregiver. The 37-year-old nursed hopes of a better future. But on February 22, 2024, while attending to an elderly client, Ian Hale, on Scott Road, Ezenyili slumped while on duty in the street of Bishop’s Stortford. She died two days later. The cause of her death was a severe brain hemorrhage, a tragic end to a promising life.

Ezenyili’s journey was one of dedication and sacrifice. Despite feeling unwell, she continued to care for her client, driven by a sense of duty. Catherine Segal, the daughter of the elderly man Chidimma was caring for, recounted, “She was driven there by her husband with their three-year-old daughter as she wasn’t feeling well but didn’t want to let my dad down.” Her commitment was a testament to her character, but it also highlighted the immense pressures faced by immigrants in their quest to survive and support their families.

Ezenyili relocated to the UK as a caregiver, but her aspirations went beyond that. She was a qualified lawyer in Nigeria and planned to attain her qualifications to practice law in the UK.

Her dream was for her daughter, Mandy, to attend school in the UK and to make a new life here where she would have the opportunities that Suzy and Friday never had growing up in Nigeria. However, her dreams were cut short by her untimely death.

Silent Struggles of the Diaspora

Faleti and Ezenyili’s fates are part of a broader narrative of the struggle experienced by Nigerian migrants. Many leave their homeland with hopes of a brighter future, only to find themselves grappling with unanticipated hardships in a foreign land.

In recent years, the plight of Nigerian migrants has become a front-burner issue in the global circuit, with many facing exploitation, discrimination, and a lack of support in their host countries. The journey to greener pastures, many eventually find, is fraught with obstacles, and for some, it ends in tragedy.

Accordingly, better-heeled Nigerian communities in the diaspora have begun to advocate for better conditions and support systems for their fellow compatriots, but the road to change is long and arduous.

Boundaries of Hope: A divorcee’s odyssey from America to Canada

If you ask Isabella Yaqub, she will tell you the road to greener pastures is onerous and precarious. In pursuit of a better life, Yaqub crossed borders and braved elements through the icy winds of the North and the heartaches of motherhood. Burdened by the weight of a fresh divorce, the 52-year-old embarked on a journey that would test her strength and resolve. In 2018, with five children clinging to her, she crossed the United States border via New York, into Quebec, Canada.

As Yaqub and her kids approached the boundaries of New York, the icy tendrils of fear gripped their hearts. The Canadian border police towered like sentinels in the distance, thus posing a formidable barrier. The 52-year-old almost faltered but she remembered the words of her childhood friend who saw them to the border of the New York State. He said, “The police will try to dissuade you. Do not listen to them. Don’t stop. Do not look back. Do not say anything. Just keep walking towards them. Make sure you cross the New York state line into Canada.”

Thus, with her children huddled close, their breaths mingling in the frosty air, Yaqub forged ahead. The Canadian border police, stern and unyielding, urged them to turn back. But the family pressed on, their steps heavy with trepidation yet light with the promise of a new beginning.

As they crossed into Canada, the police read them their rights, informing them that they had staged an illegal entrance into the land of maple leaves. Subsequently, they herded them into a holding facility.

The Cold Reality of Integration: Quebec’s Lingual Barrier

The initial warmth of cookies and tea at the makeshift immigration checkpoint in Quebec did little to dispel the cold reality that lay ahead. “From my findings, I was warned by other Nigerians that unless me and my family spoke perfect French, we would have a very hard time integrating into the social system there,” Isabella explained. The tales of Nigerian families struggling in a French-dominated environment weighed heavily on her. Determined to find a more welcoming community, she moved her family to Sudbury, Ontario.

Sudbury’s Shelter: New Beginnings, Fresh Challenges

In Sudbury, Isabella found a semblance of peace. The state welfare provided a lifeline, and she rented a modest three-bedroom apartment. Her entrepreneurial spirit flourished as she started “i-cart,” a business that catered to her neighbours’ needs. Trading in Nigerian food condiments and offering essential services, she began to build a new life.

Yet, just as stability seemed within reach, a new challenge arose. Idris, her 11-year-old son, once a model of good behaviour, threatened to beat her over a simple chore. “Don’t beat me, Mom,” he barked, charging at her. Isabella’s heart shattered. “We were barely two years in Canada, and my 11-year-old son was threatening to beat me up. I was completely shaken,” she recalled. Determined to protect her family, she relocated to Edmonton, hoping for a fresh start in a disciplined environment.

A Mother’s Sacrifice: The Cost of New Beginnings

The move to Edmonton drained Isabella’s savings, exhausting the $30,000 she had painstakingly saved. Leaving Sudbury meant abandoning affordable living and the support system she had built. Declaring her solvency to expedite her residency application, she relinquished welfare support, maintaining her integrity despite the financial strain.

Isabella’s journey from Nigeria to North America cost her approximately N4.5 million. Today, relocating with her family would demand between $35,000 and $40,000, excluding the N7 million needed for transportation. Her story mirrors the broader challenges faced by many Nigerian migrants, who brave perilous paths in search of better opportunities.

From Prestige to Penury

Unlike Yaqub, Olumide Adio had no urgent need to relocate abroad. In the twilight of his life, the 64-year-old bore the semblance of a monarch in his homeland. With the regal bearing of a man fulfilled, he commanded an empire of knowledge as a Ph.D. holder in English Literature, wielding his pen as both a scholar and an educator. He nurtured young minds in his private nursery and primary school in suburban Lagos while his fish farm, sprawling over eight fertile plots, whispered prosperity. His coffers brimmed with the rewards of his labour, and he lived In opulence.

But the tides of fortune are capricious. When his sister-in-law, bearing tales of Canadian promise, returned from her sojourn, she sowed longing in his wife’s heart. Reluctantly, Olumide yielded to the siren call of the West. The echoes of their debates and bitter squabbles reverberated through their home, and three years hence, with his pockets drained of $31,000, he set out with his family on a journey to the land of maple leaves.

The Golden Chains of Home

The life Adio left behind was nothing short of idyllic. His words, steeped in the cadence of regret, painted a portrait of abundance. “I taught in private universities and established a primary school with my wife, a gifted chef. My fish farm was thriving. I was prosperous and our lifestyle, by Nigerian standards, was luxurious,” he recounted sorrowfully.

The decision to abandon this paradise was no easy one. The school, just about breaking even, was shuttered. Their stately duplex, a symbol of their stature, was sold. The cars, the farm, and other properties were also liquidated at a fraction of their worth – the joint sale of his assets yielded N40 million (barring the school building which was rented) instead of the anticipated N90 million. But the end justified the means in the estimation of his wife and children. While the latter joyfully prepared for the trip, Adio wondered if he had taken the right decision. “I was worried throughout the processing of the trip. Each time I sold a property beneath its actual value, I felt a hollowness within me. But reality dawned on me when my wife held a departure party to wish our friends and loved ones goodbye. She and the kids were very happy. I couldn’t bring myself to dampen their joy. The least I could do was nurse high hopes about our relocation abroad,” he said.

Thus, with a heavy heart and a dwindling fortune, Adio got on the plane with his wife and four children, naively clinging to the hope of a better life abroad.

A House Divided

But life in Canada, he would find, isn’t all it’s cracked to be. In the frigid embrace of their Vancouver home, reality struck with jarring cruelty. The savings that initially seemed ample evaporated in a mere six months. The jobs befitting Adio’s qualifications were elusive; age wasn’t on his side, and the sting of rejection became his daily torment. Once sparked by trivialities, the friction between the 64-year-old and his wife now raged into an inferno of discontent. To quell the storm, he accepted a position as a grocery shop attendant, a shadow of his former self. His wife, finding solace in her training, worked as a chef in a Nigerian-owned restaurant, her earnings, though modest, eclipsing his.

When she pursued further education in social and palliative healthcare, her income doubled, shifting the balance of power. Adio, once the cornerstone of their family, felt the weight of his diminished role. “I have become a glorified errand boy,” he lamented, the cultural and economic dissonance gnawing at his soul, leaving him traumatised.

A House Divided

In the frigid embrace of their new home, reality struck with a cruel force. The savings that once seemed ample evaporated in a mere six months. The jobs befitting Adio’s qualifications were elusive, and the sting of rejection became his daily torment. Once sparked by trivialities, the friction between him and his wife now raged into an inferno of discontent. To quell the storm, he accepted a position as a grocery shop attendant, a shadow of his former self. His wife, finding solace in the kitchen, worked as a chef in a Nigerian-owned restaurant, her earnings, though modest, eclipsing his.

When she pursued further education in social and palliative healthcare, her income doubled, shifting the balance of power. Adio, once the cornerstone of their family, felt the weight of his diminished role. “I have become a glorified errand boy,” he lamented, the cultural and economic dissonance gnawing at his soul, leaving him traumatised.

The Exile’s Lament

From Yaqub’s journey across the U.S. border into Quebec to Adio’s grim life in Canada, this narrative highlights the struggles of the Nigerian diaspora. Relocation has become very expensive. “A family of six needs $35,000 to $40,000 to relocate comfortably to Canada,” said Silvia Idongesit, a travel specialist.

With the Canadian government shutting down illicit entry points along the Quebec border, she said, many U.S.-based Nigerians can no longer cross into Canada.

Travelling overseas does not guarantee instant prosperity for many Nigerians, compared to Chinese migrants, who often achieve middle-class status within a generation through perseverance and community support, Nigerians face unique challenges.

Meredith Odugbe, a healthcare worker in Ontario, Canada, noted that many Nigerians live beyond their means, unlike the more prudent and cooperative Chinese. “The Chinese save by living together, sharing apartments and expenses. They split bills, allowing them to save enough to eventually get their own places. In contrast, Nigerians are extravagant and struggle to impress. Nigerians tend to rent or buy houses and cars they cannot afford, leading to juggling multiple jobs and declining health. This leads to financial strain and health issues, causing many Nigerian marriages to suffer,” said Odugbe.

A Scholar’s Wisdom: Navigating Uncharted Waters

Professor Omotayo Fakinlede of the University of Lagos shared insights on the Canadian experience, emphasising resilience over credentials. Drawing from his experience as a student in Canada over 35 years ago, he noted that Canada rewards resilience more than degrees. He shared the stories of two colleagues in Alberta, Andrew and Nnamdi, both with PhDs in Chemistry. Andrew, a white Canadian, became a plumber due to higher wages, while Nnamdi, a Nigerian immigrant, became a secondary school teacher. Both found contentment, but their stories highlight the unpredictability of career opportunities in Canada.

Fakinlede also contrasted the success of Indians with relatively lower education achieving middle-class status within a generation by running small businesses, while Nigerians with PhDs still struggle and often need student loans for their children. He pointed out that Nigerians often do not cooperate as easily as Asians, leading to slower upward mobility.

“In a single generation, Indians with relatively lower education had arrived at middle-class status while we Nigerians are busy amassing degrees and boasting to be doing so well. Degrees are not paid for in Canada. Even with your PhD, you keep quiet at work and perform. If another person with a lower level of education does better than you, he could be paid more,” he said.

The examples given, he said, are about certificate-piling Nigerian immigrants underperforming compared to lower-educated Asians. “When you now bring in highly educated Indians – that are multiple times the number of Nigerians, the story becomes even more interesting. Four or more Pakistani IT workers can be so helpful to one another, share an apartment, and contribute to sustaining an unemployed member until they all move ahead in Western society. Nigerians in the same situation are more likely to engage in unhealthy competition.

“The Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesians, move into the middle class much faster than Nigerians do, no matter how fast we start. If it is a matter of entrepreneurship, upward mobility, social integration, and so on, it is a different game. When a Chinese sets up a restaurant, he aims at the local Western population. The few Nigerians who set up bukas (mini eateries) are targeting other Nigerians or Africans like themselves – that is, two to five per cent of the population,” he noted.

The Pressure Cooker: Marital Strife, Domestic Violence

Nigerian families, once comfortable, often find themselves living in slums in the UK, US, and Canada. This drastic change leads to mental health issues and marital strife. Financial strain and cultural dislocation cause marriages to crumble, with some husbands turning violent. Cases of Nigerian men succumbing to depression and mental health issues are alarmingly frequent as they grapple with the loss of their once powerful role within the family unit.

In the UK, for instance, Olubunmi Abodunde, 48, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his wife, Taiwo, with their son’s skateboard. The tragic incident occurred on November 28, 2023, at their home on Exning Road, Newmarket, Suffolk. Abodunde admitted to causing Taiwo’s “catastrophic brain injuries.”

The Ipswich Crown Court was told that Abodunde’s attack involved significant violence. The couple, who moved to the UK in 2022, frequently argued over affairs and finances. Abodunde’s attack on Taiwo involved significant violence, and he will serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole. Similar tragic incidents involving Nigerian men killing their wives have occurred in the US, often due to financial disputes and infidelity.

In Texas, United States, Michael Collins Iheme, 50, shot and killed his 28-year-old estranged wife, Anthonia Iheme, as she left work. He called the police, confessing he had “killed the woman that messed my life up.” Witnesses reported that Iheme fired at her vehicle, causing it to crash, and then continued shooting.

Moses Egharevba, 45, allegedly killed his wife, Grace, with a sledgehammer in Dallas. Grace’s newfound financial independence after becoming a Registered Nurse led to increased tensions, culminating in this tragic event witnessed by their seven-year-old daughter.

Mental Health Trauma: The Silent Crisis

The mental health crisis among Nigerian immigrants is often overlooked. Adapting to a new environment and societal dynamics that render men powerless contributes significantly to this issue. Many suffer in silence, with depression slowly eroding their spirits.

In the UK, many Nigerians struggle to adapt, leading to frustration and hopelessness. Marital squabbles and perceived infidelity exacerbate these issues. Kamson advised Nigerian men to limit their expectations when relocating abroad and seek therapy. “The laws in European countries favour women and children, which can shock men used to dominance back home. This often leads to marital strain and, in extreme cases, violence,” she said.

Kamson emphasised the importance of humility and self-awareness for Nigerian men abroad, noting that European laws’ provisions for women and children can cause significant strain on traditional family dynamics, often leading to conflict and sometimes tragic outcomes.

The Exodus Persists…

Despite the hardships faced by many migrants in Europe, Nigerians continue to seek visas from European consulates. Otunba, in his 40s, revealed to a British newspaper that he relocated to the UK from Nigeria using a tourist visa to claim asylum but fled to Ireland to avoid being sent to Rwanda. He spent four months in the UK before travelling to Dublin. “When I heard the Rwanda Bill was going to be passed, I was scared. People advised me to go to Ireland, saying they were accommodating. I didn’t know we’d be sleeping in tents; I thought we’d get proper houses,” he said.

On November 15, 2023, a Nigerian male asylum seeker was found dead in a tent outside a Canadian shelter for the homeless. The man, in his 40s, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to keep warm in Peel, Greater Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, confirmed the man was a Nigerian asylum seeker. Brown noted that the shelter system in the region was overstretched by over 300%, leaving the deceased no choice but to use a tent.

Irregular migrants face greater risks and hardships, argued Nnamdi Olise, a Manchester-based healthcare worker. Olise, 44, was an insurance executive until he relocated to the UK. “I have my papers intact and don’t have to sleep in an open shelter. Only those without papers experience such conditions. Many who sold their assets to relocate without proper documents end up in worse conditions than back home,” he said.

Diaspora Inflow into Nigeria

Nigeria emerged as a major recipient of diaspora remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa, capturing approximately 35% of the region’s total inflows in 2023. A World Bank report indicated that Nigeria received about $19.5 billion last year, the highest in the region but a 2.9% decline from the previous year. In comparison, India received approximately $119 billion. These remittances came mainly from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Italy.

In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria recorded $282.61 million in direct foreign exchange (FX) remittances, a decrease of $18.96 million or 6.28% compared to $301.57 million in Q1 2023. These figures belie the hardships Nigerian migrants have to endure to send money back home.

A Path Forward

Addressing the underlying issues driving emigration requires a multifaceted approach. Promoting local opportunities, encouraging entrepreneurship, and implementing government initiatives to improve living conditions in Nigeria are crucial, argued experts.

“We need to create a system where people do not feel the need to leave,” asserts Dr. Isidore Amaka, an economist. “Investing in education, infrastructure, and job creation is key.”

If Nigeria becomes more habitable, many youths will stay back home, argued Idris Adebayo, an I.T. technician in Philadelphia, United States. “If the government can revive local industries and solve the security problem, I would have no business staying here. I have yet to secure decent work worthy of my training since I got here. I work freelance from home for Nigerian IT firms. Imagine, I came here (United States) in search of greener pasture and I have to sit at home to work for firms in the country that I deserted,” said Adebayo.

The Ballad of Migration: Unwritten Verses

Against the surge of Nigerians relocating from the country, Adedoyin Adeleke, a 35-year-old PhD holder, recently returned to Nigeria. Adeleke, an expert in Energy for Sustainable Development, previously schooled and worked in Italy. But he returned in November 2023, to transform Nigeria into a “greener pasture.”

He believes In making Nigeria as attractive as Europe and America, stating, “Europe is a ‘greener pasture,’ but we can make Nigeria the same,” he said.

Corroborating, former UK-based health worker, Abiodun Olatunbosun, argued that, “Despite Nigeria’s challenges, it remains a blank canvas for the creative and enterprising. Those moving abroad should remember that today’s greener pastures were once barren. Progress is admired, but the process is often disliked. Many who Japa, will never leave a lasting legacy. Nigeria is home, and it is where the real work and glory lie,” he said.

Adeleke and Olatunbosun would have a hard time convincing Nigerians yearning to Japa – many of them would relocate to see their diaspora dreams thaw and rekindle from frozen aspirations to resilient realities. Each story would unfurl like a verse in the ballad of migration, testifying to the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian migrant braving the chill of uncertainty.

Whether their destination is the UK, the US, or Canada, it’s the same canvas of frozen dreams and challenges for the weak, but an opus of opportunity for those who dare to dream and persevere.

For Yaqub, Adio and many others, their stories intertwine to form a mosaic of perseverance and the unyielding human spirit.

But for ill-fated migrants like Faleti, the complexities of their altered existence, maul them through bone-chilling mornings and nights in the cold. For this luckless divide, the dreams of a better life in the diaspora often morph into a waking nightmare. (The Nation)

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