How A Nigerian Law Graduate Coped With Homelessness After Arriving In The UK

The state of things in Nigeria from the social, economic, financial and even political perspective is making its citizens leave the country at an alarming rate for better sanctuaries.

A reported average of 2,000 medical doctors leave the country each year because of unfavorable pay and working conditions.

According to the Canadian Government, more than 12,000 Nigerians emigrated to the North American country in 2019 and it is projected to increase in the coming years.

The desperation is real and it should worry those who are in power in Abuja.

The picture of heading overseas is a far contrast to what is obtainable back in Nigeria. Of course, it looks so shiny and glittery thinking of how education is better abroad, jobs are more secure with better payment, social amenities are basic and it goes round, healthcare is top notch, and not forgetting welfare as well.

As glamorous as this looks, many who migrate to the West are made to face what they did not expect to see or bargain for, leaving them in dire conditions.

This was the case of Olumuyiwa Adagunodo, a 25-year-old Law graduate and co-owner of Editto Services, a fully digital start-up community providing solutions to writing and academic needs.

He recently moved to England to further his studies following the completion of his Law degree back in Nigeria.

Born into a family of academics, he is the last born of four. He is a football enthusiast and would love to go into the business side of the game.

Muyiwa chose England because he always wanted to live there, which stems from his love for football.

He got admission into the University of the West of England (UWE) in late 2021, in the city of Bristol to study Business with Supply Chain Management, which was successful after a long admission and stressful process. Then came what he never expected: He was homeless and it was a very bad experience.

UWE witnessed an influx of students with higher-than expected grades and with Bristol being a popular accommodation destination for students even in other neighboring towns, it put pressure on the accommodation market in the city which the landlords took unfair advantage of.

“To be honest, the [homeless] situation was bad. I’m not even sure I know where to start from,” Muyiwa began.

“I had been searching for accommodation in Bristol since I was back home in Nigeria. School accommodation was already filled up months before I even made my decision to attend UWE as the school levelled two accommodation blocks due to the building integrity. This probably made the situation worse.

“Another genesis of the problem is the recent development with student visas which allow students a two-year post study period after their schooling. This has made the UK a more attractive prospect for students as they do not have to go back to their home countries immediately after schooling and now have a chance at actually properly immigrating into the UK. So, I’m not sure institutions and cities were prepared for the influx of immigrants.

“Another cause of the problem is that during tenancies that were affected by the pandemic, landlords lost some revenue with regards to students as they couldn’t work to pay rent. A lot of revenue actually. So, most landlords don’t want to let houses to students subsequently. As a student in Bristol now, you either need luck or a lot of money to get a house right now.”

Dealing with the homeless situation was a tough one for Muyiwa, something he never had to deal with in Nigeria as adequate provisions were in place while he studied at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Despite the problem he met in Bristol, he had to cope with it somehow.

“Well, I didn’t really have a choice [coping with being homeless],” he continued. “School was moving at an incredible pace with assignments and exams coming up so everyone had to deal either by living in hotels, AirBnBs or couch surfing with friends and colleagues, none of which were ideal, because school was well over a month in, but we had no choice.

“I had been lucky to be accommodated by a family friend but it was supposed to be for a few days… I had arrived in Bristol for over two weeks and the situation didn’t improve. I also spent most of my days in the library and only went home to sleep. School helped to distract from the situation a little bit.”

Speaking of school, while this accommodation problem was going on, the University of the West of England did nothing to address the situation which left Muyiwa in the dark but it was no surprise as such is the attitude back in Nigeria where authorities neglect the necessary needs of the people.

“Well, with regards to all these institutions, nobody really cares. The truth is if our home country [Nigeria] wasn’t so hell bent on sucking life out of you sinew by sinew, I guarantee you nobody wants to be waiting for the bus in another country in 0-degree weather” he said.

“So, in that light, the school was aware but didn’t really care and didn’t do so much, they have a service to deliver and you aren’t the only student about.

“As a Nigerian, you’re used to people in leadership not really caring so even if the school doesn’t give a f**k about us international students, we are used to it, especially most second and third world country students. So, we do what we have to do and try to make decisions as informed as possible.”

In spite of how bad the situation was for Muyiwa, he didn’t let his folks in Nigeria know the extent so as not to unsettle their nerves. Like the resilient Nigerian spirit, he believed he would find a way out.

“Well, I was quite composed about the issue because I don’t like to be an alarmist so they [family] didn’t know how extreme it was,” he explained.

“Easier to deal with it here myself than fielding questions I had no answers to. Also, I had been praying and I knew it was just a phase, but it was one of the hardest phases of my life. It was cold, I’ve got school, I didn’t have a bank account, no job, no friends, and then on top of that, I was homeless, not nice at all.”

Muyiwa was able to finally get an apartment in Bristol but it came at the cost of €715.38 a month which he saw as daylight robbery and unsustainable as he had to share the apartment with three people with just one bathroom, something he did not consider ideal for a student.

“I work 20 hours a week which is barely enough to cover rent and living expenses. I’m still having to do some work in Nigeria from here just to make some change really. I had to reject a job at TK Max because the pay was €10.73/hour. When you calculate 20 hours a week, that comes to about €906.15 a month, after I’ve paid €715.38 for rent, I’m left with €190.77. That’s not sustainable. So, these are the issues I had to deal with,” he narrated.

Muyiwa opted for another apartment which is cheaper in a bid to save costs but it is much smaller than the previous.

On a final note, Muyiwa asserted that the housing problem in Bristol is not the same in other English cities. He advised Nigerians willing to come and study in the UK for the next academic session to go ahead with their applications and not fret because of his situation.

He however warned against them coming to Bristol as the accommodation issue is still there and the available apartments cost a lot.

“To be honest, the housing situation is not this bad in other cities,” Muyiwa concluded. “I was in Sheffield for about two weeks and accommodation was looking like light work. So, my advice to Nigerians is the moment you’re able to fulfil all the requirements, come to England. It’ll be rough at the start obviously, most things are, but you’ll adjust and life will get better.

“The thing is, if you come to England to try to improve the quality of your life, you don’t lose anything because las las, if e no work out, after the three years, you go dey go house [back to Nigeria].”

It is rather pitiful the ordeal Muyiwa had to go through in settling in the United Kingdom to further his education but as he pointed out, people from third world countries like Nigeria are given inferior treatment, making things difficult for them.

It raises serious questions about the genuineness of these advanced societies in improving the lives of those who come from the less advanced side of the world.

These migrants that are seen as minorities deserve much better because they contribute a lot to the economic output of these countries.

That they are used to hardship in their home countries is no excuse to do the same because it goes against all that is preached in giving them the better life they have long been looking for, which is not too much to ask for.

Culled From PULSE NG