President of the American Academy of Optometry, African Chapter, Dr Uchechukwu Osuagwu, speaks with BIODUN BUSARI on his life journey from Nigeria to Australia

How would you describe your growing up?

I grew up in Aba, in the South-East of Nigeria. My parents and younger siblings are still there. After completing my primary education, I moved to Port Harcourt for my secondary education. Then, I travelled again to pursue my university education at Abia State University. After my internship in Akwa Ibom State, I went to Taraba State for my National Youth Service Corps programme. I relocated to Lagos to start working after the service year.

Growing up in Nigeria was interesting for me, and it was where I learnt persistence and resilience. I grew up in an environment where giving up wasn?t an option. My parents were middle-class?my dad was a businessman, and my mum was a teacher. My family consists of five boys and a girl. I remember that my dad could only afford to buy a new pair of shoes when we were on school holidays. He wanted to ensure that we all went to school.

When I returned from school, I remember the first pair of shoes I bought for him. He said it was the first time he had worn new shoes in the last three years. Another thing that helped me was music?I played music for quite a while. During my university days, I was playing professionally. I performed with some big names in the music industry in the East. I travelled to different places on weekends to sustain myself financially, so I wouldn?t depend too much on my parents. It was all a struggle, but those moments built me. My siblings and I are products of ancient values.

What inspired you to study optometry?

I didn?t dream of studying optometry initially. I had always wanted to be a medical doctor. My dad felt the same way. However, I found it difficult to gain admission into medical school despite my brilliance. I wrote my first exam and didn?t get the desired points. I took the second exam and still didn?t meet the cut-off mark for medicine, so I was offered botany.

After one year in botany, if I had a good GPA, I could switch to medicine. While in my first year studying botany, I was able to get someone to help me switch to optometry before the year ended. That?s how my journey in optometry started. I fell in love with the course, but my dad still pushed me to study medicine. I told him I liked optometry, and the rest is history.

Why did you choose to relocate to Australia?

I tell people that any place outside Nigeria is fine because you still have to board a plane. Australia was not a destination many of us considered while growing up. What happened was that I first travelled to Saudi Arabia, where I spent about five years. I worked in a private clinic, then at a university, where I started working as a research assistant. During that time, I enrolled in a master?s programme in the United Kingdom, which I completed at Aston University.

From that point, I started thinking about what I could do after my master?s. I was writing papers, publishing, and teaching. I had very good clinical skills and academic knowledge. I later got a scholarship in the UK to pursue a PhD, but it was only partially funded. After discussing it with my wife, we decided it wasn?t a good move.

Then I got a fully funded PhD scholarship in Australia. I had already paid part of the PhD fee in the UK, which I lost because the school said I had pledged to study. We had a friend in Australia, and when we told him about the opportunity, he convinced us that it was a great place. We thought it through and moved. I?ve never regretted it for one day because this place is so peaceful. There are opportunities here, the education system is of good quality, and the people are very kind. It?s a great place to raise a family in a decent environment.

What do you have to say about the myth that Nigerians who relocate to Australia forget to come back?

It?s not a myth, it is real. It?s not that you don?t want to come back, but I?ll give you an instance.

If you want to travel from Australia to Nigeria on a return ticket, you?d be looking at about $8,000. That?s just for the ticket. Whereas, if you?re travelling from the UK to Nigeria, you may need about ?190 for a ticket, depending on the time of booking. But here in Australia, it?s a decision you have to consider carefully. The distance is quite far, as you could have cumulative flight hours of 36 to 48 hours, depending on the route you take.

It?s not just the travel to Nigeria. Beyond the flight ticket, you?d also need to budget around ?10,000 to ?15,000 for family expenses. Every Nigerian here wants to go back home at least once in a while, but again, the cost is substantial. If you have to save close to $20,000 or $30,000 and spend it on just one trip, that?s a huge commitment.

Added to that, our country isn?t treating us well. If Nigeria were getting better and people were seeing opportunities and a future there, they would come back. I understand how it is, it?s not a myth, it?s a reality that people weigh carefully.

What are the first-hand opportunities for the Nigerian community in Australia?

I think there is a wide range of skill sets for Nigerians to explore in Australia. The country has diverse needs and is looking for professionals in various fields. They are in need of doctors, nurses, car painters, electricians, automobile engineers, mechanics, chefs, physiotherapists, and radiologists. If certain requirements are met, such as age and English language proficiency, then anyone can apply. So, it?s open to people from all over the world.

Also, professionals in IT and healthcare are in high demand, as well as those in managerial roles like business analysts and accountants.

What is the real reason behind staff shortages?

Australia has a massive landmass. As a result, there are many unoccupied or remote areas, and people live in locations with limited access to healthcare. They?re finding it difficult to service these areas effectively.

Beyond that, the population is ageing, and manpower is being lost as people retire. So, there?s a need for younger people to fill the workforce gap. That?s one of the main challenges in Australia.

Another issue is specialisation. Many migrants come with PhDs to work as lecturers and contribute to knowledge development. Meanwhile, many locals are already well-off. Some receive government support even without working, so they may not have the same drive as migrants. And as the country continues to grow, migration numbers are Increasing.

How do Nigerians cope with snakes and reptiles that visit their homes?

I think every environment has its peculiarities. It?s part of living in a particular society. So, when you move here, you know what to expect. You have to adjust your mindset and behaviour to suit the community.

Here, there are crocodiles, snakes, and scorpions. But since 2014, when I moved here, I?ve never seen any in my home, though I have seen them outside. It depends on where you live. Some areas have more snakes than others.

Interestingly, some reptiles here are kept as pets. Some people build small enclosures to keep pythons. However, brown snakes are dangerous. If you see a snake, you don?t kill it, you call the snake catcher. They?ll come and return it to the bush. They don?t even kill them because snakes play a role in the ecosystem; they help control other animals that may be more harmful than they are. That?s how they preserve the environment.

Snakes are around, but none of my family members has ever had a snake bite. Some people have had encounters, but it?s not as bad as people say. The weather here is also a factor. When it?s hot, snakes seek cooler spots, which is how they sometimes enter homes. (Sunday PUNCH)

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