Online, Nigerians share their experiences working with fellow Nigerians in the diaspora. Many say those living abroad, aware of the salary structure in Nigeria, often use it to their advantage when offering pay. On X, formerly Twitter, a Nigerian living in Canada sparked conversations because he wouldn’t pay $1,000 to Nigerians he employs, arguing that when converted to naira, “it’s freaking N1.7 million. Which world are we living in today?” His comment opened the floor for others to share their stories of working with Nigerians abroad.
To understand these experiences better, I spoke with Obinna Onyia and Okeroghene Stanley.
Hey guys. How do you do? How is it going?
Obinna: I’m alright.
Okeroghene: I dey okay, my boss.
Have you ever worked for/with a Nigerian abroad on a project?
Obinna: Of course.
Okeroghene: Sure na.
How did you get the job and what was the job about?
Obinna: I applied for the job on LinkedIn. They used a recruitment agency in Port Harcourt, so I got it through that agency. It was a UI designer role, and they built SaaS software for companies. I passed through three levels of interviews and finally got the role.
Okeroghene: I got the job via a referral. A friend of mine messaged me about a job opening that he got from somebody, and I sent my portfolio. The job was for a graphic design role. Basically, he sold funnels or courses of some sort and needed a designer to design Ads for Facebook and other channels that he used to market his products.
How was it?
Okeroghene: Man! Initially, I thought he just needed a graphic designer to design static ads and images. However, upon our discussion, he mentioned he needed a motion designer too. I didn’t have a problem with that because I could handle that. But the issue was how demanding he was. He was always criticising my work and didn’t allow me to finish a task before pilling up a whole lot more. I always didn’t sleep for more than 3 hours daily because I had to be awake all through the night (time zone differences, too). He would always have something to say about my designs. I didn’t have peace at all. But seeing I needed the money, I powered through.
Obinna: I’ve worked with some other Nigerians abroad and they weren’t really as bad as this particular experience I had with this man, so I don’t want to generalise. I really had no major challenges on my own end either, the man was just toxic and condescending, plus he didn’t pay well. Also, based on the reactions of other people on social media, so many Nigerians in the diaspora, underpay and undervalue the works of their fellow countrymen here in Nigeria and it’s not a very good look on them, because many people now avoid working with Nigerians abroad because of it.
What could have caused this from them?
Obinna: Aside from working with Nigerians and also maybe Indians (who I’ve had terrible experiences working with), I’ve been chanced to work for/with a Finnish, English, Australian and even a Netherland citizen; these experiences were really great and I believe it was great because they never saw me as incompetent, and I think that might be one of the reasons why many Nigerians in the diaspora don’t “rate” Nigerians at home. They believe we’re incompetent, which is a terrible thought, because if we’re incompetent, why then do they keep coming back? Why not pay for the same services abroad? But I guess we all know why they won’t do that.
Okeroghene: I don’t know about other Nigerians in the diaspora, but this one was so full of criticisms. He wanted more for less. For the kind of work we brokered for, I would charge other internationals more than that. He always sounded rude. I have an experience with another diaspora lady who ridiculed me because I charged her more than usual. With the kind of work she brought, that was how I felt like charging her because the workload was too much. She, too, was so much full of criticisms, stumping on my work more often than not (I however did not take it likely with her. I voiced it out to and she later apologised. But in the end, I told her I never wanted to work with her again 😮💨).
Be like them do you dirty, Oke?
Okeroghene: Guyyyyyyyyy.
But at all at all, a moment must stand out. Can you share a moment that really stood out for you while working for/with a Nigerian?
Obinna: Earlier this year, I got an offer through a friend to work on some designs for a skincare brand owned by a Nigerian abroad. It was such an amazing experience for me. She spoke to me with so much regard and she was really patient through the entire project. It’s one of the few times I’ve had to work with a Nigerian abroad and I really enjoyed the experience.
Would you work for more Nigerians abroad, or advise anyone to?
Obinna: If I had another opportunity, I would still, because like I mentioned before, not all Nigerians abroad are bad or toxic, so I definitely would still take up the job first, if along the line I sense any form toxicity or an attitude, I’ll just drop it like I always do whenever an employer or client treats me badly or unfairly.
Okeroghene: Not all Nigerians in the diaspora are the same. But if a diaspora person comes to me for work, and I charge them, if they frown at my price for the first time and complain about the price, that alone is a red flag, and I’ll turn the person down instantly cause I don’t want stress. Most of them feel like they are doing you a favour, to be honest. I also have had good experiences with a diaspora Nigerian too. But a common thing amongst the bad eggs is “Why are you charging me such an amount? Is it because I am not in Nigeria?”
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Feature Image by Ninthgrid for Pexels
