We all know the obvious things Nigerians abroad miss — jollof rice, suya, mama’s egusi soup — but let’s be honest, it goes deeper than food.
There are quirky, cultural things we never thought we’d long for until we moved abroad. Suddenly, you find yourself smiling at the memory of the NEPA light drama, or the chaos of Lagos traffic with people selling gala and shouting “pure water!”
Here are five underrated things Nigerians abroad secretly miss:
1. “Up NEPA!”
There’s nothing like that collective cheer when power is restored — even though it shouldn’t have gone off in the first place.
2. Random arguments at barbershops or roadside stalls
In Nigeria, gist is a group sport. Abroad, everything is polite and scheduled. You start missing the wild, hilarious banter of strangers debating football or politics like it’s national business.
3. Pidgin banter
“Abeg,” “you dey whine me?” “No wahala” — nothing quite hits the same as a well-timed Pidgin phrase that carries ten layers of meaning.
4. The sound of life at night
Generators humming, neighbors shouting, a distant preacher on a megaphone — abroad, the silence is deafening. Sometimes you just miss the noise.
5. Community without needing to book it
In Nigeria, you walk into a neighbor’s house without an appointment. Abroad? You better check the calendar first.
These small things form the heartbeat of Nigerian life — chaotic, loud, sometimes frustrating, but deeply comforting.
🟢 Let’s Hear It:
What non-obvious thing do you miss most about Nigeria?
Tell us in the forum thread here. Let’s laugh and reminisce together.
You absolutely nailed it, and these are some of the things that made life interesting when some of these folks were still back home. But now the Nigerian communities in places like Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, and NYC, have grown so large that you're beginning to find the banter and food so commonly available that miniature Naija lifestyle are noticeably identifiable.
Across most major cities in the US, most weekends are dotted with Nigerian weddings, birthdays, and other sorts of celebrations within the Nigerian communities, and there's no lack of Nigerian food, music, aso-ebi, and of course banter. Nigerians have finally become proud of their 'nigerianness" and the world is recognizing that too. Gone are the days that every Nigerian was eyed with suspicion, and drew scorn and disdain by other nationalities. Now most Africans overseas will proudly tell you that if you want to know how to succeed as a foreigner, you better find yourself a Nigerian friend.
While the "Up-NEPA-syndrome" may never catch on in the Western hamisphere, however the Nigerian food has definitely caught on. There's a wide range of stores that Nigerian and African food can easily be found now in most western countries. Unlike two decades ago when it was difficult finding African food to purchase in Europe and the Americas, now the reverse is the case. This in turn means that Nigerians in diaspora and their children now feed on fufu, garri, jollof, egusi, ube, ewedu, dried fish etc. It also means that there is no need to return home to Nigeria in order to eat the things that you crave as a Nigerian.
Recently, a video went viral where multiple cases of Ube (pear) were stacked in a cold room in preparation for shipment overseas. That is symtomatic of the "japa" phenomenon which would drive the demand of Nigerian food and delicacies to satisfy oversea consumption, and in the process cause scarcity at home. The scarcity will in turn further drive prices up beyond the reach of ordinary folks.
It is interesting what is happening at home right now.