Are Nigerians Abroad Making the Wealth Gap Worse Back Home?
When Nigerians living abroad return home for holidays, it feels like a movie scene: emotional airport reunions, champagne flowing in fancy clubs, and top Afrobeats stars performing to huge crowds. These returnees, nicknamed “I Just Got Back” (IJGB), bring more than just suitcases—they bring money, energy, and a boost to the economy. But their visits also highlight a growing problem: the widening gap between the rich and poor in Nigeria.
During festive seasons like “Detty December” (the Christmas and New Year period), cities like Lagos and Abuja become almost unlivable for locals. Traffic gets worse, prices skyrocket, and businesses focus more on serving returning Nigerians than their regular customers. A Lagos-based radio presenter, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that the wealth gap in Nigeria is massive, making it feel like “we’re worlds apart.”
Nigeria, despite being oil-rich and one of Africa’s largest economies, struggles with extreme inequality. According to the World Inequality Database, over 10% of Nigerians own more than 60% of the country’s wealth. The World Bank adds that 87 million Nigerians live below the poverty line, making it the second-largest poor population in the world after India.
Professor Martins Ifeanacho, a sociologist at the University of Port Harcourt, explains that this inequality has grown since Nigeria gained independence in 1960. He blames the political elite for focusing on gaining power and wealth while leaving ordinary citizens behind.
The presence of Nigerians abroad, or the diaspora, adds another layer to this divide. Their foreign accents, higher spending power, and perceived success often give them an edge in social and professional settings. Even those who haven’t been abroad sometimes fake foreign accents to climb the social ladder.
For many Nigerians, leaving the country seems like the only way to succeed. This trend, called “japa” (a Yoruba word meaning “to escape”), has grown in recent years, especially among young people. A 2022 survey found that 70% of young Nigerians would leave the country if they could. However, studying or working abroad is expensive, and not everyone can afford it.
Lulu Okwara, a 28-year-old recruitment officer who studied in the UK, says there’s immense pressure to succeed in Nigeria. “It’s success or nothing,” she told the BBC. For many returnees, coming back home as a “hero” during holidays is a way to prove their success.
But not all IJGBs are as wealthy as they appear. Some struggle to maintain their image of success. Bizzle Osikoya, who runs a live music events business, shared that some returnees have tried to get refunds after attending his events, showing the pressure to keep up appearances.
In Nigeria, where wealth and status are highly valued, the performance of success matters. While Nigerians abroad bring economic benefits, their presence also shines a light on the deep class divide that continues to grow.
This report, based on BBC sources, explores how the diaspora impacts Nigeria’s social and economic landscape, raising important questions about inequality and opportunity in the country.
Credit: BBC News for original reporting and details.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1p5ek72vo