The everyday story you hear is about Nigerians exploring every possible means to relocate abroad. As this article asks, what is the Nigerian dream beyond relocation? If you ask many Nigerians today what their ultimate dream is, “japa”, the Yoruba word for relocation, will likely come up in one form or another.
But while many Nigerians dream of building a life abroad, foreigners from different parts of the world are also finding a reason to call Nigeria home, a word or phrase that, for some Nigerians at home and abroad, has become increasingly difficult to say. Renee Ju (of victorandrenee), a South Korean, is one of those foreigners.
Renee moved to Nigeria for work in 2021. A few years later, she is married to a Nigerian, Victor Babatunde Yamusa, and together they have welcomed a child, Roi Ifeya. What began as a move to a country that initially felt unfamiliar to Renee has grown into a life of love, family and a deeper connection to Nigeria.
In this conversation, Renee tells me about what brought her to Nigeria, the cultural shocks she experienced when she arrived, how she fell in love with Nigerian culture, meeting Victor, becoming a mother, and why Nigeria has come to feel like home.
Hello Renee. How are you feeling today?
Hey, hey! Thank you so much for having me here. I feel on top of my toes to be gisting about my life with you!
Love that! Tell me, when and why did you move from South Korea to Nigeria?
I moved to Nigeria for work at Samsung Electronics in Lagos in 2021. It was my very first time on the vibrant African continent. To be honest, as soon as I arrived at the airport, I wanted to go back to my country because everything was too different from where I came from, a country of (sometimes too many) set rules. But when I began working with my Nigerian colleagues and mingling with them every chance I got, everything started to look different. The energy, laughter, attitude, the philosophy, and so much more. Nothing can stop them from living their best life.
That is Nigerians for you. We always try to stay positive, no matter what. How did your family take the news of you relocating to Nigeria?
Well, they were shocked at my idea of working in Nigeria. My sister even started talking to everyone she could find on LinkedIn who had been to Nigeria, and to her surprise, they were all in one voice: let her go to Nigeria. She will have her best time there.
And you’re having your best time
Yes, I am. Yes, I am, haha.
What do you remember about your first day or first few days in Nigeria?
At that time, COVID was still in the picture, so I stayed in quarantine mode in a hotel in Lagos for two weeks. I didn’t get to experience much of ‘life‘ yet then, but I remember being shocked at the yellowish, metallic water running down the basin in one of the most luxurious hotels. (No offence o.)
Haha, we can explain the water situation. But after you were able to start enjoying the Nigerian life, what were some of the first things about Nigeria that surprised or shocked you?
The parties surprised me!
Nigeria is a party country, haha
See, even Nigerian marriage looked like one, which is vastly different from Korea. Nigerians are so passionate about enjoying life, and being with them lifted me up like never before. The most difficult thing to adjust to was the number of hours of church service. Wow, it could easily stretch to three or five hours.
Don’t blame us; we love God
As I do too!
Haha. So, how did you settle in?
It was the people who made Nigeria my home gradually. To be precise, my ex-colleagues. Not because I saw them every day, but because anytime I needed them, they were there, not as colleagues but as friends and family. I laughed and cried with them.
Love that! As you spent more time in Nigeria, what were some of the things you began to love about the country?
What I love most about Nigeria is the way Nigeria makes me feel. Every emotion was so raw and unfiltered to the extent that it makes you live life with every cell in your body. I don’t know how to explain it, but if I must try, it was as though if I were a fish, I was finally unleashed into the water, although the water was maybe lagoon water, but at least I wasn’t anymore sitting in one display corner in one nice supermarket.
I really like that metaphor. But let me quickly ask you this: How did you meet Victor, and what do you remember about your first interactions with him?
I first met Victor at a beach concert at Landmark. (By the way, why did Nigeria allow Landmark to be demolished? Abeg!) It was far from love at first sight for me, although it was for him. He was just a friend to me, and because then, I had already submitted my resignation letter, I was trying to enjoy life more, hanging out with my friends more often, including him, at that beachside. As I got to know him more, I saw that delicately caring person in Victor that was first hidden from his ‘bush’ beard, and that was when I realised maybe it could develop into something more than friendship.
And it did. It beautifully became more than a friendship. What was that transition like for you? What did marriage teach you about navigating two different cultures within one relationship?
My transition as a Korean newbie in Nigeria into ‘Iyawo wa’ here was quite smooth, actually, despite some culture shocks. My upbringing, as well as travelling all over the world in my 20s, made me such a highly adaptable person that even Koreans don’t understand some life decisions I make; and my life taught me it’s totally okay and even a luxury to just be myself. But navigating marriage and even bringing a life into this world in Nigeria was a whole different challenge. Before, cultural differences were a spice to our relationship. But with a baby especially, it means two values and two prides clashing. So, to answer your question, marriage and a child taught us one thing: God.
But every moment leading to now was so valuable and uneasy on its own. And I know nothing great comes easy. It’s making me stronger and wiser as a person, as God only gives me the cross I can carry, however heavy it’s been.
How has becoming a mother and building a family in Nigeria changed the way you see the country, your identity, and your relationship with both Korean and Nigerian culture?
Nigeria is now my child’s MOTHERland. It’s where Victor and I went through 9 months of pregnancy and birthing together to meet this beautifully mixed little human. Nigeria is no longer a country where I simply have fun shouting “Fisi Fisi” in the marketplace. It’s a home for our family, and I now call it ‘my country ’, and you all are my people. Whatever the people go through in this land, they are my concerns too. No matter where our family is, Nigeria will always be in our hearts and is a place to come back to.
If you think about the woman who first arrived in Nigeria and compare her with who you are today, what has this journey changed about you?
I learnt how privileged I was to have all the freedom to explore across the globe and how silly I had been thinking it was not something special because I am not from a wealthy family. This country humbled me. This country moved me. The journey has impacted the meaning and purpose of my life. I am sure God sent me here for a reason, and I am excited to see what I will do for this nation. And what does Nigeria mean to me? A child suddenly comes to my heart. Maybe it’s a child that came to my heart even before my son.
The post “I Love How Nigeria Makes Me Feel”: How Renee Ju, a South Korean, Found Home in Nigeria appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.
The everyday story you hear is about Nigerians exploring every possible means to relocate abroad. As this article asks, what is the Nigerian dream beyond relocation? If you ask many Nigerians today what their ultimate dream is, “japa”, the Yoruba word for relocation, will likely come up in one form or another. But while many
The post “I Love How Nigeria Makes Me Feel”: How Renee Ju, a South Korean, Found Home in Nigeria appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!. Read More
