Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Nigerians plan an “escape” to Europe or elsewhere. The economy is rough, so they believe that getting to Europe by any means necessary is the golden ticket to success and a better life.
Unfortunately, this is not always true. In reality, human traffickers mislead these people into believing that risking their lives to relocate to foreign lands will absolve them of life’s difficulties.
What many don’t realize is that once they arrive on foreign soil, they will be despised and hated just for the colour of their skin. They will be mistreated, exploited, and misled. They will end up working menial jobs for people who loathe their very existence.
On the other hand, we have a different set of diaspora Nigerians… those whose ancestors were victims of the horrific Maafa, aka the Atlantic Slave Trade. These folks having lived among non-Africans for hundreds of years seek to return to Africa. Some seek to return to Nigeria, a land where everybody looks like them. A land where they will not look out of place. A land where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin. A land where they can feel at home. A land where for once, they belong.
Some descendants of the Atlantic Slave Trade actually relocated to various African countries. There has been quite a number of success stories from those who relocated and invested in business which in turn created jobs for their families and the locals. Others, found it hard to succeed or they longed for products or services which they were used to in their birth countries. Quite a number of these people chose to return to the Americas.
Relocating to other countries have never been an easy feat. It does not always guarantee success, but finding success in such an adventure is rewarding.
African people in the Americas have never been loved and respected as true, blue Americans. They have always been despised and hated. They are looked at as immigrants in their own countries. Some of them seek to relocate to Africa to escape the hatred. Yet, at the same time, far too many Africans give up their life savings for a treacherous, life-threatening trip to the western nations.
Life is always greener on the other side.