Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has said many Nigerians who relocated to the United Kingdom in search of greener pastures are facing harsh realities.

He argued that some are worse off than people earning modest incomes in Nigeria.

Bwala said many highly educated Nigerians abroad were employed in care homes despite holding university and postgraduate degrees, describing their experience as “modern day slavery.”

Speaking on The Morayo Show, the presidential aide urged Nigerians not to assume that everyone who relocated abroad was living a better life.

“I want to tell you today, some of you in Nigeria still think you are suffering. You’re better off than your colleagues that Japa five years ago,” he said.

According to him, he speaks from personal knowledge as a resident of the United Kingdom.

“I am a resident of the United Kingdom. A Nigerian that finished with first class or second class and later obtained another degree, do you know where the majority of them are working? Care homes,” Bwala said.

“As far as I am concerned, it is modern day slavery.”

He argued that many graduates were compelled to accept jobs far below their qualifications simply to survive.

“The type of jobs they get there is less than that of a house girl, even as master’s degree holders in an economy that is supposed to provide opportunities,” he said.

While acknowledging that unemployment remains a challenge in Nigeria, Bwala maintained that low income earners at home still enjoy advantages that many migrants abroad do not.

Comparing a Nigerian earning ₦60,000 monthly with some migrants in the UK, he said the worker in Nigeria could still benefit from family support, access to credit and lower living costs.

“That ₦60,000 earner, at least, the bank can loan you money or somebody can support you. What we pay here for power and many social services is almost nothing compared to what people pay over there,” he said.

He added that although many Nigerians abroad have access to better infrastructure and public services, the high cost of living often leaves them unable to achieve personal financial goals.

“Your problem here may be that you don’t have enough money to build a house or buy a car. That other person abroad is not even thinking about buying a car. He may not get one in the next 20 years,” Bwala said.

He noted that the higher cost of living in the United Kingdom also explains why Nigerians in countries such as the United States often remit more money home than those living in the UK. (Daily Trust)

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