Uchenna Njoku’s childhood ambition has been to become a lawyer since he can remember. So he studied law at Imo State University before joining the American multinational Exxon Mobil for his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
While on the NYSC programme, he set his sights on working full-time in the oil and gas industry as an in-house legal counsel for any of the major oil companies.
To prepare for this, he enrolled at the prestigious University of Aberdeen in Scotland, which is Europe’s oil and gas capital. He believed that his experience would help him become a highly sought-after Oil and gas lawyer worldwide.
Culture Shocks
Upon relocating to the UK all by himself, Uchenna experienced culture some culture shocks.
He said:
There were numerous culture shocks, but the one that stood out for me was the way everyone I met in the UK treated one another with empathy and respect. No anger, envy, or unnecessary competition. I found men who wore kilts which fascinated me so much.
Japa: Nigeria’s Loss UK’s Gain
The UK is one of the most popular destinations for Nigerian youths who desire a better life abroad. However, Uchenna is worried that the Nigerian government’s nonchalant attitude as the country continues to lose its best brains to the benefit of the Western world, especially the UK.
He said:
As a Nigerian in the Diaspora, I think that Nigeria has a long way to go in encouraging promising youths to be their best and bring out the best of talents to develop Nigeria and not compel them to leave for a better life. I am in the UK because they used it to their advantage, creating an enabling environment for us to continue to develop and enhance their economy while paying so much taxes into their system.
Connection to Nigeria – the land of his birth
Uchenna said he still feels highly connected to Nigeria despite his long sojourn abroad. After all, he was born and bred in the country.
He said:
I feel very connected to Nigeria as that is a country I love very much. I have lots of family and friends there, I have lived a large part of my life in Nigeria, and I enjoy the free-spirited and bohemian spirit of the average Nigerian. These and many others are why I visit Nigeria every year.”
Temporary ‘Japada’ back to Nigeria
There’s an ancient cliché that opines that with time, dreams evolve. And this is true for Uchenna because his interest shifted from law to banking after his studies at Aberdeen. The banking sector is arguably the most lucrative in the UK.
Unfortunately for Uchenna at the time, it was difficult to break in as he was required to have significant UK work experience. Also, many British-born nationals were competing for the same jobs he was interested in. he said:
I left the UK back to Nigeria to work in Fidelity Bank because I wasn’t getting the opportunity to work in the corporate environment in the UK. Every organization required me to have UK work experience which was difficult to achieve with the number of British Citizens and European Nationals going for the same job.
I returned to the UK because I saw things getting worse in Nigeria in 2015. I initially thought that I would work my way up in Nigeria, have a good financial standard of living, and bring my family over from the UK to join me but it was an unrealizable dream. Therefore, I had to return to the UK to enjoy a better quality of life and be reunited with my family.
Conquest of Tesco Bank, RBS, and Barclays Banks
When he returned to the UK, he worked as an Account Review Analyst for Tesco Bank, where he stood out in a Caucasian-dominated workplace. He later worked as a Financial Crime Analyst for the Royal Bank of Scotland, where he used his skills and talent to combat terrorism financing and money laundering while also maintaining the organization’s reputation.
He later transferred his highly sought-after skills to Barclays Bank, where he is now Assistant VP, Intelligence Development & Investigations.
No Glass Ceiling in the UK Corporate Workplace
We’ve all heard and read about the famous ‘British Reserve,’ which is an innuendo for the average Brit’s covert racist tendencies. Many Nigerians in the United Kingdom complain of racism, which stymies their career advancement. Buchi Emecheta, a well-known Nigerian writer, wrote the widely read book ‘Second Class Citizen,’ which highlighted the racism that exists in the United Kingdom.
Samuel Selvon, a Trinidadian writer, had previously written ‘Lonely Londoners’ to highlight the plight of ethnic minorities, using his native Caribbean nationality as a case study. However, Uchenna believes otherwise. “There is no ceiling for racial minorities, particularly black migrants, in the corporate UK workplace,” he claims. Just make a name for yourself and excel here!”
Advice to his Countrymen intending to ‘japa’ to the UK
Many Nigerian youths are talking about going on economic exile, or ‘japa.’ Ironically, the United Kingdom, which colonized Nigeria, is one of the most popular destinations for Nigerians, particularly those seeking to pursue postgraduate studies abroad, a popular japa route.
Uche warns that, while living in the UK is a better deal than living at home, it is still not a bed of roses because it comes with its own set of challenges.
He said:
“My advice for Nigerians intending to migrate to the UK is to keep the hope alive. Leave the negative attitude and way of life behind in Nigeria before coming over here, be aware that it isn’t easy to save a pound here. You have to work extra hard to have a comfortable life over here, and so it will never be business as usual as it was in Nigeria. If you are law-abiding here, you will certainly live a worthwhile life.”
