The entire essence of being a human being is migration. Children move from a woman’s body into the world. Similarly, people move countries and cities in search of a better life, education and sometimes a healthier environment for living.
For women, it is often expected that we do not travel as much and we must only move countries and cities within the confines of marriage or with the approval of our male family members.
However, women are diverse and our reasons for moving cities are as diverse as we are.
Urban Woman Magazine recently spoke to some women and asked them to share why they decided to move cities.
Read their responses below.
T
I fell in love with the city, I needed space from home. I didn’t want anything associated with the city that had to do with school or relationships either.
I wanted something of my own. A new chapter in my love.
I became more independent, I loved my space. I understood adulthood better.
B
I’ve always wanted to learn the French language, so that was my first motivation to move to a country that 97% uses only this language. It was still a motivation but the announcement of Tinubu’s Presidency gave me a final push.
I went straight from spending hours in the filling station looking for cash (during that cash-crunch) straight to that. It was so jarring, I remember sitting on my bed and just admitting that I was done here, I felt very hopeless. I can’t even remember why it was so personal for me, but in retrospect, I get it now.
Moving shaped me and changed me. I learned to walk at night freely, walked slowly. I learned to let go of that “rootless Nigerian aggression” that separates us from other African countries because damn, everyone was slow to me when I first arrived there, so I had to adjust. I was so free. I didn’t experience any catcalls for an entire year (unless when I was in streets dominated by Nigerians). I walked around without fear of harassment or theft.
It taught me that I could just wake up and do things. I still fear doing things, but the lesson is always there to nudge me.
I couldn’t make it work permanently because Nigeria followed me down there and I started feeling the bite of Tinubu’s governance when the naira collapsed.
It was a bitter-sweet experience with loads of lessons, so *maybe* I’ll add more to this if I remember.
D
I have been moving for the most part of my life between home and school. Not proud to say I stayed about six years in uni in Osun State. Since I didn’t have a home again, due to withdrawal from family toxicity, disowning, and facing my hustle.
Osun became my home but everytime I was there I was incomplete. I didn’t like the clubs or lounges there. It was either you were networking with students, dreamers, yahoo boys, or married men.
It became pathetic, then I knew the place wasn’t for me. The workforce there was low. No ambition. No competition.
People were mean and the juju there was something else. Everyone seemed to be living in a loop where they thought life was cheap and comfortable but their IQ was diminishing (remember the people there). Ife, Osun State is boring actually. As a biological scientist there was no hope for me, so it was Lagos for me.
Lagos is expensive but I have been myself ever since than in a misogynistic place that somehow silences me because everyone just has to live with the rubbish.
In Lagos, you cross me, you will collect. And I realized things are actually cheaper in Lagos than Ife except rent though.
Lagos has more opportunities, diverse people, more workplaces, more conferences, cost of living is crazy but we move.
Angel Nduka-Nwosu is a writer, journalist and editor. She moonlights occasionally as a podcaster on As Angel Was Sayin’. Catch her on all socials @asangelwassayin.