It’s all over the internet and really scary. Newly migrated Nigerians coming down with mental meltdown in alarming numbers. Reports also corroborate this. What could be responsible? Are there ways out? Gboyega Alaka explores the issues, speaking with Nigerians resident in the North American country.
IT’S the internet age, and nothing seems to be hidden anymore, hence the phrase, ‘global village.’ First, it was the video snippets of visibly disturbed young Nigerians popping up on the internet, especially TikTok and Facebook. A particularly one shows a young Nigerian man, looking forlorn and visible ill. …CONTINUE READING
One thing is however clear, he is no longer mentally stable. In a faraway land where he probably has no friend or family and very far from home, it certainly does not look nice. Add this to the lonely lifestyle of that country, where everyone is for themselves and one may begin to understand why Peter looked the way he looked in that video.
Another viral video showed a mentally unstable Nigerian girl. The voice in the background explained that she was driven to that state by her lack of money, job and the inevitably became homeless. Now in an extremely cold country, that’s a torture that can lead to mental breakdown.
Numerous such videos abound.
Another particularly interesting video is that of young Marcel Tabai Yusuf, who is warning Nigerians not to think coming to Canada was a rosy adventure. Marcel had gone to Canada as a student, sponsored by his parents, but he had to quit school when his finances failed and survival became first and foremost for him. His sickle cell condition made things worse for him in the extremely cold climate.
“Like, I was in school and everything. I have sickle cell anaemia, I had to leave school. Not just because of that but other financial issues. Any Nigerian will understand what I am talking about.”
Clearly a considerate young man, Marcel, who said he slept in a street bus the night before after leaving hospital and who worked as a delivery man, is however determined to soldier on rather than bother his parents back home, especially his mum, whom he said sold her car for him to come over. This, in spite of the fact that the bike with which he earned his living, had been stolen.
Thank God for his resolve, and the fact that he is able to muster the temperament to withstand the challenge. News reaching streaming home suggests that many are not able to and are having serious mental breakdown.
A simple Facebook messenger message from a Nigerian living in the USA but who visits Canada regularly to this reporter read: “A lot of Nigerians are going insane in Canada; can you do something about it?
According to KB, a Nigerian who migrated to Canada 24 years ago and works as head barber/stylist at Royal Touch Barbering Services Inc. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the situation is not pleasant at all. In his assessment, two out of every five recent migrant Nigerians in that country are battling depression or some other mental problem. KB, a barber by profession who is owner/Head Barber Stylist at Royal Touch Barbering Services INC located in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
This, he ascribed to the social life in that country, which leaves you all by yourself, and which many Nigerians, going by their upbringing cannot cope with. He also cites the disappointment of lack of job or their favourite kind of job.
“Some people have problems with the social life here, while for some, it’s the lack of job or inability to get their favourite kind of job. So they are forced to do jobs they don’t really want. That in itself shouldn’t be such a huge problem outright, as such situations exists back home in Nigeria too. The problem however is, unlike in Nigeria where you have a lot of things and avenues to use to bounce off, such as places they can stopover and have conversations over a bottle of drink before heading home, that does not exist here. Because of my own job as a barber, I meet a lot of people and I’m able to hear different opinions from a lot of people; so I know that the rate of depression is high.
“The mental part comes in two ways. Some students get here and become used to drugs. They resort to drugs as their getaway. These are people who suddenly have enormous freedom at their disposal and start doing things out of the ordinary. I once went to a home/shelter, where I give them free haircut, where I met an international student. Surprised, I asked how he got there, and he said to me, ‘Brother, let me be honest with you, I’m a little bit of my own problem. School wasn’t going as it was supposed to be and I ended up using drugs; I had to sell off all my property to have a place to sleep, and now I’m sleeping here.’”
“Now, for that kind of person, his problem may not last long, because once his parents find out, they would make out a way for him; worst case, to start coming back home. But it’s a different case with a family man who abandoned everything in Nigeria, sold all his property to come here looking for that better life, and things suddenly turns out wrong and he is not able to make as much as he was making in Nigeria or expected to make; so he ends up working three, four4 jobs, and in the process loses time for rest and social life. Bear in mind, social life is also very important to one’s mental health. For example I met a man who told me he sold everything to come to Canada as a visitor. We were talking as brothers and I told him, how long do you hope to stay? What if you don’t get a job or papers in time, what are your plans? He told me he didn’t have any plans yet, that he just wanted to see how he could get a stay. I then told him; do you know you can be shuttling between here and Nigeria while looking out for opportunities? He said he knew, but insisted there was nothing for him in Nigeria. He actually said he would rather stay, suffer and die than go back to Nigeria. Not even my explanation that he would not be able to access medical help or any benefit moved him. There are some that have not even sold their property but just believe Nigeria can never be good and anything, anywhere but Nigeria. Now the danger of such mentality is emotional/mental breakdown.”
Employed but frustrated
According to KB: “There are people who have their papers, have jobs but are just tired of this place, because it is the same boring routine every day. They wake up, go to their 9-5 shift, come back home; the weather is not too friendly, they sleep, wake up, go to the same routine… There are people for whom that is the source of their mental breakdown. And that is what I meant when I spoke about lack of social life. Some people have been known to migrate from Winnipeg here to Toronto or Montreal for this singular reason. You ask them why and their answer usually is: ‘I’d be able to go out, party, catch some fun and avoid this boredom’”
KB would go on to cite over-population as part of the reasons for the rife unemployment in the land.
“Even the government is beginning to think that Canada is getting overpopulated. When they started this migration offer, they truly needed people, but I don’t think they anticipated the impact on the infrastructure. And that is why you find people coming over with high hopes and not finding jobs. That disappointment is a recipe for mental challenge already. So I can tell you that the news of mental breakdown you’re hearing of over there is not too real but it’s also real. Mind you, we’re not talking of people going outright mad; for some it is stress and depression, for some it is drug abuse. And it’s not about black or immigrants alone. It’s not unusual to see a car not moving after traffic lights have turned green at a junction; and when you approach the driver to find out why he’s not moving his car, you find that he’s deep in tears.”
Harsh economy, Nigeria not alone
KB also explained that the mistake most Nigerians are making is to think that every other country aside Nigeria is El Dorado. “The same economic hardship we have in Nigeria, we have here too. Everybody is just trying hard to cope. The difference is just that here you have credit card and you can use it to meet up with urgent financial needs and pay later. I actually met someone just yesterday who was crying ad saying she wanted to move back to Nigeria because there are actually better opportunities waiting for her there. But she’s scared of insecurity, insurgency, kidnap etc. so you can see that different things can be responsible for mental breakdown. Statistically in Manitoba, I think two out of every five persons are deemed to be battling a mental issue. As we speak, we’re in the mental awareness month, and there are helplines you can call to talk to experts if you’re experiencing anxiety etc. For them here, a mental health situation is no big deal, but for us Africans, it is. And that is why even the person who needs help would not speak up; because he doesn’t want to be seen as ‘mad’; but it could be depression, anxiety and stuffs that can be addressed.”
Asked what help is available for new immigrants facing mental challenges, KB said: “What they do is check, what mental state? Is it depression? Is it anxiety or a result of drug use? Does he have bi-polar disorder? They first try to break it down. Here depression is considered a mental issue, whereas back in Nigeria it is nothing.
KB replies: “I have seen, and I have heard. Because I’ve been here so long, I can tell that this person is going through a lot because of the nature of my job. I have been here since 2001. As a barber, you’re almost like a shrink. People will tell you their problems; you will listen and lend your advice or opinion. And from what they tell you, you can tell that this person is really going through something. And they are not telling you because they want a free haircut or discount; they just want to let out. And the fact that you have a listening ear, sometimes you heal people without knowing it. It’s like the case of an elderly man who once broke down in tears while having a haircut; I asked what the problem was and he told me a small boy at his work place spoke to him anyhow. Meanwhile this was a man who said he had his own business, lived in a big house, had two cars, staff and even a driver. To the white people here, that is a mental breakdown. He has been stressed beyond what he could handle. So I had to console him to take it in his stride. But the truth is did he do the job he was hired for well? Here, there is no room for respect if you don’t do your job; and age is not an issue. One of the reasons Nigerians don’t like hiring Nigerians is because of attitude. It’s either they start pilfering or they don’t take the job seriously. That been said, there are some Nigerian students you would hire and you would be grateful you hired them.”
Even lack of freedom can push you to depression – Student
According to Christiana Ogunlana, a 28-year-old Nigerian student in Canada who works as at TK’s shop and also doubles as African Community Volunteer Coordinator, the mere loss of the typical Nigerian freedom is enough to give a new immigrant a mental problem.
“I’ve been in Canada a year and half as an international student ad I can tell you it has been a mixed feeling compared to life back home. The mere fact that you are in a place where you don’t have the kind of freedom you are used to and have taken for granted, is a major problem migrant students encounter. And the fact that you have to leave all your family and friends to come here! It’s a complex city and country where everybody minds their business. You literally don’t know who to speak to; the only time you’re able to see or speak to people is if you go to a Nigerian church.”
“If you ask me, that is enough to cause our people mental issues. One thing I know about Nigerians is that we are extroverts. Even those who fancy themselves as introverts back home would realize when they get here, that they are nothing near introvert. Here, the lifestyle is like introvert pro max. Imagine someone who thinks himself an introvert getting here and getting depressed. I think people get into depression quick here because they barely have anyone to speak with. I recently got this position as volunteer coordinator for the African community of Manitoba; we had a mental health discussion with the youths, and the students were talking about how they were being bullied and made to understand they were black and all. Now if children could be feeling the pressure, how much more older people coming for post graduate or graduate school. This is not to talk of people who sold all they worked to acquire, got here and couldn’t immediately get a job like they envisaged or get papers to settle down properly. Now add that to not having anybody to talk to or share one’s problems with. It is actually depressing.”
Giving more credence to how depressing the loneliness could be, Ogunlana said, “I stay in a house of about seven tenants including my landlord. My landlord and another tenant are the only whites, the rest of us are Nigerians, Yoruba, as a matter of fact, yet the craziest part is that while me and two others guys get along, we have these two ladies that are not receptive and till date I don’t even know their names. I even tried to get close to one of them, but the attitude she exhibited was so off-putting, so I simply let her be. It’s not that I desperately need her; I have a job, I have a family here. But imagine that I am the type that don’t have anyone to talk to and my life depended on that little attention? That alone is enough to make people get depressed. And it can get worse.”
When asked if he too had seen any Nigerian coming down with mental breakdown, her answer is similar to her boss, KB’s. She even shared a personal experience.
“Not really, but I tell you, it is the reality. There was this time I wasn’t getting the grades I wanted; I was a first class student back home in Nigeria and suddenly I am struggling here. I started feeling so down; I felt I was failing my parents, failing everyone who looked up to me and failing the school, because I got here on scholarship. So I was feeling like a failure. Now imagine if I had nobody to speak to. Thank God I have my kind of parents, who understands me; so I just had to tell them the way I was feeling. Imagine also that they were the type, who would be like, ‘Hey, no excuses, you just have to do well’. That alone could have pushed me into desperation and depression. But they told me ‘don’t heat yourself up, you’re in a new place, it’ll get better….’ So mine did not get to that mental breakdown stage. I also had escape routes; I was able to get therapy from people. At about that time, I attended a mental health seminar and I was able to figure out what I could do for myself aside from schooling. It occurred to me that I liked being around children; so through the children, I started learning a lot of things and I started reviving myself again. So I took the volunteer job thing. So I didn’t get into depression but I was down. And since we resumed, I have rediscovered myself and have started having my grades back. It is really easy to get into depression in this country or come down with mental health conditions; really fast.”
Fear of being termed ‘mad’
Another major challenge, Ogunlana shared is the Nigerian fear of being stigmatized as ‘mad’. “The funniest part is that here, they will always tell you, when you have mental health issues, just come to the school; because there is always an advisor you can talk to. But Nigerians see the word as something really bad. Even when I was telling my mom that I was really bordered and that I didn’t want to come down with mental health condition, she was like ‘don’t say that, ma sosokuso (don’t say the abominable), God forbid’. And I was like ‘mummy calm down.’ I think that when Nigerians are coming to this country, they need to be educated about this mental health issues and be prepared. I think people are never prepared about what they were coming to meet, and it is like a huge shock on them.
“There is the story of this single mother who was already getting depressed and on the verge of a breakdown. She could no longer study. She confided in someone that she was running out of the money she came in with fast. What she had left was barely enough to pay her February rent; yet she had other bills to pay and her kids to feed and cater for. I understand she’s a single mother. Back in Nigeria, she was a bank manager but resigned to come over. So except something happens fast, there’s really no way she’s going to be able to cope. Only that can make someone come down with mental health issues.”
Any option of relocating to Nigeria for those who so wish?
“The way it is, people will say they can’t go back, and I don’t understand that. When people tell me I japa, I usually tell them that my coming to Canada is not japa; I have master’s degree in Nigeria, and I’d always known that I would someday do my PhD, preferably abroad, because of the way Nigerians value abroad certificate, and then come back to Nigeria to lecture. So it is the people who have it in mind that they were leaving completely, who are having that problem. They’ve resolved that they’d rather keep suffering, because they’ve sold off everything back home before coming. If I was in that lady’s shoes, I would stay back in Nigeria and send my children instead.”
Christiana Ogunlana is currently taking a certificate course in business management.
Lack of planning, over expectation and disappointment, major causes
For Michael Kehinde Abiodun, an autism consultant and president of Yoruba Community Association (YCA), however, the major cause for these metal situations are over-expectation and disappointment at the reality on ground.
He agreed that there are few cases, even though it may not be easy to establish some because of the confidential nature of health issues.
“The major cause of this is over-expectation and disappointment at what they meet on ground. Also, some of them didn’t plan very well before leaving Nigeria. Some, their parents sent them down here to go to school and they only paid part of the school fees; and suddenly could no longer afford to pay for the remaining sessions. Some of them sent themselves down. Some, when they are forced to rent a house, couldn’t afford to pay or feed. So financial problem is major. Another problem is that some of those affected are not used to this environment. This environment is so different from our environment in Nigeria. Here you work straight seven hours while some work for 14 hours; but in Nigeria, you work for probably 30 minutes and the remaining seven hours, you laze around. Sometimes, you go away without coming to work at all, and you still get paid. That cannot happen here. As a result, some of them can’t cope; especially with the rigour, because you need to stand throughout the shift. Some even collapse and die. Sometime last year, one just slumped during an overnight shift and that was the end. Eventually, they resort to different mechanisms, like drugs, alcohol; and when they cannot afford it, they have no choice but to start misbehaving on the streets, begging for money and all kinds of antisocial behaviours.
“Loneliness is another factor. Here, everything is regimented. You can’t just wake up and say you’re going to anybody’s house. They have a system here and it’s so strict and they are very protective. Add it to the lack of financial muscle. How are they going to survive? But they have sold off all they could fall back on even if they want to go back home. Two days ago, I heard of how someone who worked in a private University in Nigeria sold everything he had to come here. Before coming, he sold his father’s house at Ife, sold his father’s house at Osogbo; the house that was worth 50million naira, he sold at 20million naira; the house that was worth 70million naira, he sold at 50million naira; even borrowed money to come here. After four months, she went back home, because she couldn’t cope. All the money had gone.
I think a lot of the blame goes to the agents who mislead them. Canada is a very tough place; and that is why we go on radio to warn our people: Do not come here without proper arrangement. But they keep coming in droves.
