The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
Akin (29), the subject of this week’s Abroad Life, earns in Naira and lives in Germany. This was a good idea until the naira lost most of its value. He talks about relocating to Germany with his partner after the #EndSARS protest and how he can no longer afford to spoil her like he used to.
When exactly did you leave Nigeria and where do you currently live?
My partner’s angel number is 1111, so we left the country together on November 11th and entered Germany on November 12th, 2021.
Interesting. How did you end up moving with your partner?
The Lekki tollgate massacre was a life-changing moment for us. We were big supporters of the #EndSARS cause, but after we saw what our peers went through, we both realised we didn’t want to raise kids in Nigeria. After the massacre, my partner started applying for jobs abroad. She first started with school applications and was able to get a master’s admission in Texas, but there was a limitation because I couldn’t work for a particular period of time–I would have only been allowed to work for 10 hours weekly. How was that going to help anybody? We didn’t take that opportunity, so some of our friends advised us to try out other routes. We took the advice, and she started applying for international roles. Thankfully, she got one in Germany.
Are you married?
Not yet. In most countries, you must be married to relocate together, but in Germany, you have to share proof that you are in a committed relationship with the government. We had to compile our pictures and put them into a slide to show that we’ve been together for a long time and will still be together when we move. We also had to get a document that proved that we were both single but dating. It was strange that we had to prove our relationship status, but they needed to know we were serious. They call it a registered partnership.
Would it have made any difference if you guys were married?
No, it wouldn’t have, but we would have needed to provide supporting documents like a marriage certificate. They are not against marriage; they just want to make sure that you are truly single if you claim to be.
How has life been since you relocated with your partner?
It’s been different. We were comfortable in Nigeria until #EndSARS happened. At that point, we had been dating for two years, but we’re four years old now. I had a good job, and I was climbing up the corporate ladder. My partner is the smartest girl I know, so she was also excelling in her career– we were both balling.
In Nigeria, we were between being extroverted and introverted, so you’d mostly find us indoors, working remotely for our companies, seeing movies together, or eating out in nice places. But since we got here, things have changed a bit– we’re either indoors for weeks or travelling around Europe. Now, the difference is that she transitioned into an international role when we moved, but I kept my job in Nigeria.
Oh, why?
I was earning close to ₦1 million before I left Nigeria in 2021 and the exchange rate was not that bad. When we moved newly to Germany, I could easily convert my Naira to euros and still be able to take my partner on trips to Paris, but the more T-Pain did his thing, the harder things got.
The company we work for is fully remote, so employees are in different parts of the world. We tried to convince the company to pay employees in USD or euros, but they didn’t give in.
Now, when she travels down to Nigeria, I can afford to spoil her, but I cannot do much when we’re here.
Thankfully, we have a relationship built on trust. We have an arrangement that works for us— I handle the bills, and she handles bigger payments. Even though things have gotten tougher, there’s never been a time when she travelled to Nigeria, and I couldn’t spoil her. It’s why I tell my friends that I’m poor in Germany but rich in Nigeria.
What decision could help you live a better life in Germany?
That would be letting go of my job in Nigeria. I recently realised that there’s a big gap between what my Nigerian job pays and what I should be earning in Germany. Let’s assume that my annual salary in Nigeria is €7k. What I should earn in Germany doing the same job should be about €70k yearly. My partner currently earns about €5k monthly, and that’s close to what I could earn, too.
Can I ask why you’ve kept your Nigerian job for that long?
I’ve been asking myself the same question to be honest. When I joined the company. I was transitioning from marketing to a more technical role, and this company I currently work for was the first place I gained employment after my transition–the money was good, and I could still gain advanced technical experience so it made sense to keep the job. When we left, the plan was to get a supporting role but moving from Nigeria and getting a job in Germany can be very hard, so I kept the job to gain more years of experience in the new field I transitioned to. It didn’t feel like a bad decision because I also enjoy working at the company.
That makes sense. When you first moved, you mentioned you could still take your partner on trips. What changed?
The exchange rate, my sister. When my friends complain about things being hard in Nigeria, I always tell them it’s hitting me the hardest because I have to convert my wages from a weak currency to a stronger one.
When I see freelancers earning in euros and converting to naira, I’m always happy for them. There was a time when I could convert ₦600,000 to €1000 but suddenly, that ₦600k could no longer be converted to €400. It made no sense. So I’ve gone from being able to take my partner on trips to only being able to pay bills.
How has she been able to adjust to the change?
She’s been very supportive and has encouraged me to get a job here. She reminds me that things will improve when I get the job and she’s right because at the moment, it feels like I’ve been holding on to Nigeria for too long, and I haven’t been able to settle into our new life.
If I get a job here, I can have a network of friends and even build professional relationships. More than ever, I’m focusing on getting a role that will make life easier for both of us, even if it’s not as fancy as my job title in Nigeria.
I hope that works out soon. How do you balance the time difference between Nigeria and Germany?
I get very confused sometimes. It’s easier for those who have consistent time differences because they know how to fix their schedule; for me, it’s just very confusing. Sometimes, it’s a two-hour difference. Sometimes, it’s the same time. So I get confused when I need to set up meetings sometimes. But I’m lucky that I now understand Google Calendar a lot, I have all time zones there. Whenever I’m setting a meeting, it shows me what time the invited guests are available. I also have this thing on my mobile phone where both time zones are displayed. It helps me keep up with family and friends in Nigeria.
Let’s talk more about life in Germany. What’s the best part about living there?
Things work here. For example, it’s easy for you to rent because there’s a website with all the housing options. You scroll through the website, settle for where you want and virtually view the apartment. You send an email of interest and get a response within a reasonable timeframe. If you want, you can visit the apartment physically to review it; If you like what you see and you come to a price agreement that works, you should get a congratulatory email and be able to move in as soon as possible. There’s just a functional order that things follow here.
Thank you so much. Finally, on a scale of one to 10, how happy are you living abroad?
When I moved out, I would have said eight because things were easier then, but since T-pain got in, it’s been hard. I would be happier if I found a new role. So right now, it’s like a six or seven, because things are not going so well at the moment. But it takes just one yes for that number to change to nine.
Do you want to share your Abroad Life story? Please reach out to me here. For new episodes of Abroad Life, check in every Friday at 12 PM (WAT).
