Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways To Japa will speak to real people and explore the infinite number of reasons and paths they use to get to Japa.
Jimi (24) started guiding his relocation plans the moment his visa was approved. From failing to say goodbye to friends to reducing his movement because of “village people,” he didn’t take any chances. He shares how he’s gotten questions about his sexuality from a relative since he moved to the UK and how he plans to stay in the country permanently.
Where do you live and when did you leave Nigeria?
So I live in Cardiff, Wales, and I moved out of Nigeria in 2023.
Was there a particular reason why you wanted to japa?
Relocation has always been in the plan for me. My parents have always had it in mind that I’d move for my master’s after NYSC. I found out some years back that they had been saving up for it since I was young. It was a huge sacrifice, and I’m really grateful for that.
So was relocation something you wanted or was it a decision influenced by your parents?
I’ve always been indifferent about relocation, but I wouldn’t say my parents made that decision for me–I wanted to be in a place where I’d be able to succeed without feeling like the system was working against me, so when the opportunity came, I was like, “Why not?” Plus, it wasn’t like my life in Nigeria was anything spectacular. It was regular– I worked in an advertising agency and went out with friends from work every Friday. That pretty much sums up everything I was up to in Nigeria.
Let’s talk about the UK. How did that happen?
I left Nigeria through a student visa. So unlike several other people who moved through this route, I only applied to one school. I think one of the reasons why I chose that school was because I had a friend there and he was happy to hold my hands through the admission process. That’s very important because you need someone knowledgeable about admission-related stuff to walk you through the process. That’s how I got the admission and my visa.
When my visa got approved, my parents kinda sat me down and told me that I was no longer allowed to leave the house until it was time to leave the UK.
Why?
You know African parents and how they believe in village people. It was a struggle because even the few times that I tried to visit some friends, my dad would call me and ask for all the details.
My mom didn’t care as much, but I still had to sit at home. I don’t know if it was because my dad was projecting his fears, but I became extra careful myself. For instance, if I were on a bus, I’d pray for God to help me back in one piece. I didn’t want my parent’s fears to come true.
Did you get to say goodbye to your friends?
I said a few goodbyes, but you’d probably meet people who would tell you that I forgot to tell them about my relocation.
I left Nigeria without telling some people and that’s mostly because my parents were serious about me not sharing the news that they didn’t even tell some family members I was relocating until much later.
I didn’t see the need to drag it with them because they are my sponsors. When some people found out that I had relocated, they were upset;I’ve done my part by apologising, but I can’t exactly tell people how to react to my apology. Some have accepted the apology, others are still upset.
You seem to really hold your parents in high regard.
As I mentioned earlier, they were my sponsors. It wasn’t exactly like I had any choice. But now that I’m figuring out my life in the UK, I can confidently make bold decisions and stand by them.
Before my graduation in November, I locked my hair and pierced my ears. It was a spontaneous decision, but it’s something I’ve kinda always wanted to do. My parents were sort of disappointed when they saw me at my graduation–My dad even asked me to wear my graduation cap in all the pictures we were taking together because he didn’t want his friends in Nigeria to see my dreads.
My dad’s reaction wasn’t even the worst – a relative saw my new look and told my parents I was gay. I couldn’t even understand how he arrived at that conclusion, but I told my parents that they were stuck with the new look either way. I think they calmed down the next day after they watched me get baptised.
That’s interesting. Can you tell me more about that event?
I’ve always been a Christian, but I wasn’t born-again. Contrary to what my new look suggested, my relationship with God got better after I moved to the UK. The baptism was the day after my graduation, and I really wanted my parents to be there. They showed up and were proud of me. We haven’t really talked about the new look since then.
Love that. I know you mentioned that your parents are your primary sponsors but did you explore other funding options?
The school gave me a reasonable discount, but most of my funding came from my parents. Shout out to them for real because the exchange rate was already all over the place when they cleared my tuition.
Seeing how much they sacrificed to pull that off made me double up on studying. For the longest time, they were not doing what other people their age were doing. For instance, my dad delayed his plan of getting a nicer car for a while, and my mom made several sacrifices too.
Shoutout to your parents for real
The craziest part is that I can’t even say my parents were rich or had millions to spare. They were just financially responsible and cared about giving my siblings and me a soft landing. Being here without a scholarship or alternative funding would have been a nightmare without their help.
Earlier, you mentioned that you only applied to one university. What made you so confident that you were going to get in?
I did a lot of research before I chose that university. And as I mentioned earlier, I had a friend in the school who guided me through the application process.
Success can be replicated, so I always advise people to seek guidance from people who have gone through the same process. It also helped that I had faith and was confident that God was involved.
Remember how I said my parents didn’t tell some family members about my relocation until much later? My uncle was one of those relatives. One day, they called and decided to inform him that I was moving to the UK since he was there too. I wasn’t close to the uncle in question, but the craziest thing happened; It turns out the uncle was living very close to the school, so he offered to take me in. In my head, I was just like “What are the odds?” I just felt like that was God helping me out. I got a super soft landing – I didn’t have to worry about food or shelter.
Love that for you. What’s your advice for people who are planning to apply to graduate schools in the UK?
It might sound cliche, but your personal statement is super important. You should know how to tell your story better than anyone else. Another advice is to always ask questions. Keep sending emails to the school like you’re sending WhatsApp messages. You’re better off asking too many questions than making mistakes because you didn’t ask at all. You should also be intentional about your research because there are many schools that offer discounted school fees for first-class or second-class upper students.
Are you planning to stay in the UK?
Of course, I’m applying for a postgraduate work visa. My student visa is going to expire next month so I’m getting ready to apply for the other one. It’s almost 3000 pounds now.
I always advise new graduate students who plan to stay in the UK to start saving for this visa early. Aside from the money, you must also meet some criteria, such as having good grades and working for a maximum of 20 hours weekly. Some people don’t play by the 20-hour weekly rule, but I like to respect myself.
The application process is quite easy. You can complete the whole thing on your phone in 30 minutes. Your chances of getting the visa are also really high.
I hope it works out. Can you share what life in Cardiff looks like?
Cardiff is small. You can walk to almost every place you need to be. I’ve had time to fall in love with the city but it was rough at the beginning. I was the only black guy in my class when I was doing my master’s. I had to start hanging out with friends from other races. There was one time my white friends asked me to come to a party with them, and I thought it was a good opportunity to socialise until I realised what kind of party it was.
What kind of party?
It was a techno party—just noise and headaches. I really blamed myself for going in the first place. After that incident, I found a Christian community, and everything became better. I’ve made friends with Nigerians and other nationalities since then.
So no more techno parties?
God forbid!
LMAO. On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you with your life in the UK?
I’ll say 8.5. Things are getting better. I can now afford to satisfy my cravings and tick stuff off my bucket list.
Want to to share your japa story? Please reach out to me here.
