”Relocating will test you and your marriage in different ways”- Nigerian man says as he recounts how relocating abroad challenged him and his wife till they returned to Nigeria

A Nigerian man, Shamseddin Giwa, has shared the story of how himself and his wife relocated abroad and were forced to return home due to the untold hardship they faced while there.

In a series of Tweets, Giwa shared his story of how life became uneasy for himself and his wife and this forced them to return home. He added that all that they sought for while abroad has been given to them here in Nigeria. 

His post reads

”The relocation story you don’t get told.

This was us several years back as a young couple looking for better life abroad. The dream was good, the intentions were good and we had enough to start. We just didn’t have enough information of how challenging it would get.

We started life in a single room within a shared flat where we even got told when we could use the washing machine or turn on the heater (even in winter).

The jobs were demeaning and always tiring but the poor exchange rate of my home currency gave a false sense of deception that one was earning good but the reality was different. Even with both our incomes, it was difficult to live averagely. Note: we were way better than others here!

At least we were together but extreme work rota meant we barely got to spend time together, marriage strained. Now imagine many had their spouses back home and their marriages went through worse.

Always at the mercy of the home office that was always changing immigration policies, one never truly felt settled. In the end, we returned back home and quietly started over, together.

Decades on, everything we sought abroad got handed to us back home! AlhamduliLlaah.

Now imagine many still stuck, illegally living, unable to work for standard rates, unable to even rent a place in their name, unable to open an account, unable to have peace of mind and always apprehensive of law enforcement, unable to grow yet unable to return home!

What’s the point? Relocating will test you and your marriage in different ways. Please be sure before you copy anyone and sell all you have to move. However, if you find yourself stuck, have a good exit plan even if it means coming back home to start over.

Many people and marriages are breaking due to the pressure unplanned. Don’t go this route, do your findings well, your home depends on it.”