US-based Nigerian Author advises Nigerians aspiring to relocate abroad to do due diligence 

 
Mary Nnah

 

US-based internationally renowned Author, Poet and clinical nurse,  Mrs. Maggie Chinyere Offoha, has advised Nigerians aspiring to relocate abroad due to economic hardship to undertake proper due diligence through research and determine that migration is the best option before embarking on such a journey.

She said this will equip them with the necessary information about the country of their choice to avoid regrets and pressures of societal expectations.

She explained that most times, there is a lot of loss when people relocate abroad like family, relationships and properties. She added that children are also caught between two cultures, unsure of their identity.
She made the call during the official launch of her three books namely, “Return to Where I Belong”, “Dark Shadows on My Path” and Poetry for Thought”, in Lagos.

Offoha, who has lived for over 22 years in the U.S. said that the books were not only a reflection of her experiences abroad but also about expectations from any immigrant.

She said that while reasons presented by youths for emigrating could look appealing, there were underlying factors which must be considered before leaving a country of birth. 

Offoha said the urge to come back to her fatherland inspired the documentation of her experiences outside the shores of the country, noting that migration has its pros and cons.

She urged Nigerians to revive the reading culture especially among the youths to be abreast of happening around the world, with a call on the government to invest more in the youths who are the future leaders of the country.

“Those of us, who have travelled abroad, have stories we will want to tell, which should be of help to those who want to leave the country because of harsh economic conditions, among other considerations. 

“The experiences gained abroad are the inspiration behind writing the books. They contain my experiences as an immigrant in the U.S. and what those planning to leave should expect. There is a general situation those travelling abroad will face because it is a general principle of life,” she said.

Offoha,  who had her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the U.S., said that some immigrants were at a crossroads because of some conditions they found themselves in.

She highlighted cultural differences, loss of identity and unplanned and unexpected circumstances as some of the challenges that could be faced by any foreigner.

She advised those planning to relocate abroad to carry out thorough research of the country to which they were planning to go, to avoid regrets.

“Some of us are at a crossroads; that is why I want to tell people planning to relocate abroad to do their research very well. It is not in my position to discourage those who want to leave due to the hostile economy.

“Some of our children are now caught in between two cultures, while some of them do not even know where they belong. Some of these experiences are what I wrote about in the book: ‘Return to Where I Belong’,” she said. 

According to Offoha,  relocating abroad is a personal decision, but those aspiring to go should learn from those who have had experiences, and ask questions.

“The conditions are still the same. Job hunting, marriage proposals and other economic indices are still glaring. However, we should also take pride in who we are, as Africans and Nigerians. Another question is if we want our children to maintain our identity or be lost forever. Therefore, we need to stop the colonialism mentality,” she said.

The author regretted that ‘Japa’ syndrome had caused Nigeria’s brain drain, especially in the health sector.
“We need to preserve our heritage, the land of our ancestors, our traditions because if we do not, our lineages can be gone forever,” she said.

 Offoha also cautioned against poor reading culture, especially among the youth.

She said that there was a need to cultivate a reading culture among children and the youth.

“While I was an undergraduate in a U.S. college of medicine, one of the required courses was literature in which we have poetry such as a book written by Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” – as a choice even as a science major student.

“It should make a lot of sense to us as Africans and Nigerians that the book that we hardly cherish is what the U.S colleges are having on their shelves,” she said.

Other speakers extolled the virtues of the author, describing her as a great mentor.

The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Emma Kekere,  said that the author’s experiences were good enough to learn from. He advised parents to ensure their children are taught the language and culture of the tribe they belong to, no matter where they reside.

The book reviewer, Mr Bonny Amadi who is the Founder of Newzmile Africa, commended the simplicity of language used in the book and recommended the book for academics. He advised Nigerians willing to travel abroad to read the books to learn from the author’s experiences.