The Pressure to “Make It” Abroad : A Silent Diaspora Struggle
- Jan 2
- 2 min read
For many Nigerians and Africans in the diaspora, migration is sold as a guaranteed upgrade: better income, better systems, and a better life. What is rarely discussed is the psychological and social pressure that comes with living abroad, especially the unspoken expectation to succeed at all costs. This pressure to “make it” abroad has become one of the most silent yet damaging struggles within diaspora communities.
Where the Pressure Comes From
The pressure begins even before departure. Families often pool resources, sell property, or take loans to support a loved one’s move abroad. This financial and emotional investment creates an unspoken contract: failure is not an option. Once abroad, migrants are expected to justify the sacrifice with visible success, money, status, and tangible achievements back home.
Social media amplifies this burden.
Carefully curated photos of luxury apartments, new cars, and vacation snapshots create a false standard of success. The reality, multiple jobs, shared housing, immigration stress, and loneliness, rarely makes it online. As a result, many diaspora migrants feel compelled to maintain an image that does not reflect their real lives.
The Cost of Maintaining the Image
The pressure to appear successful often leads to financial strain. Some migrants send money home they can barely afford, prioritising remittances over personal stability. Others avoid returning home for years, not because they are unavailable, but because they feel they have not “arrived” yet.
Mentally, the toll is heavy. Anxiety, burnout, and depression are common but rarely acknowledged. In many cultures, admitting struggle abroad is seen as weakness or failure. Silence becomes the coping mechanism, even as individuals feel increasingly isolated.
Immigration Status and Career Reality
Another major contributor is immigration uncertainty. Many migrants work jobs far below their qualifications while navigating visas, work permits, or permanent residency pathways. Professional stagnation, coupled with the expectation of rapid success, creates frustration and self-doubt.
Career progression abroad is rarely linear, especially for migrants dealing with credential recognition issues, discrimination, or limited networks. Yet back home, there is often little understanding of these barriers.
Why the Narrative Needs to Change
The idea that going abroad automatically equals success is outdated and harmful. Migration is not a shortcut to wealth; it is a complex, often difficult transition that requires time, resilience, and realistic expectations. Until this truth is openly acknowledged, diaspora migrants will continue to suffer in silence.
Families and communities must learn to value honesty over appearances. Progress should be measured in stability, personal growth, and well-being, not just material display or foreign currency inflows.
Changing the narrative starts with open conversations. Diaspora communities need safe spaces to talk about failure, delays, and mental health without shame. Media platforms, community leaders, and diaspora-focused organisations have a role to play in presenting balanced stories, successes and struggles.
Making it abroad should not mean losing peace of mind or living under constant pressure. True success is not just surviving the system, it is building a sustainable, healthy life, wherever you are.
Comments