The moment I have been waiting for guys🎉🎉☺️.
Introducing to you the latest graduate 😍.
Temitope Ajayi, GMNSE👩🔬
https://t.co/MEkUJwgRWr Electrical and Electronic Engineering 🎉
I'm grateful to God for this🙏🙏.
I moved to Finland.
Not the US, UK or Canada. Finland.
I didn’t realize that would require so much explanation.
There’s an unspoken hierarchy when it comes to relocating from Nigeria. If you’re going to leave, it should be somewhere people immediately recognize. Somewhere that sounds impressive when mentioned casually. "Somewhere your relatives can repeat proudly without needing to clarify where it is on a map."
Finland doesn’t quite fit that script.
Till today, I’ll post something, and someone will message, “Oh, you relocated? US or Canada?” It’s never asked with curiosity. It’s asked with assumption. As if those are the only options that count.
I’ve watched people take on serious loans to relocate. Not because they had a long-term plan or a clear passion, but because they needed to leave. Because staying felt like stagnation, and the destination sounded prestigious enough to justify the sacrifice.
And I understand that feeling more than I’d like to admit.
Nigeria can make you restless. It can make you feel like motion is progress, even if you haven’t decided on the direction.
But here’s what nobody really prepares you for: every country comes with its own weight.
Cold is cold, regardless of the passport stamp. Loneliness does not care whether you are in London, Toronto, or Helsinki.
Finland is cold in ways I wasn’t prepared for. Not just the temperature, though that alone is an adjustment. It’s the silence, I almost feel deaf. The long, dark afternoons where daylight disappears before you even see the sun. The way you are now alone with your thoughts for longer than you’re used to.
In that kind of environment, misalignment becomes really obvious.
If you chose your course because it was convenient, the discomfort magnifies it. If you chose your country for the optics, the silence will eventually confront you with that truth.
You don’t want to sit thousands of miles away from everyone you love and realize you built your decision on pressure instead of purpose.
Relocating is not a personality trait, not a trophy, neither is it a shorthand for success.
It’s a life decision.
So, if you’re thinking about leaving, pause long enough to build a real plan. Choose a course that connects to something you genuinely want to grow into. Choose a country because it aligns with your goals, not because it impresses an audience.
The goal was never to impress anyone, it was to build a life that feels steady when the lights go out and it’s just you in the room.
Start there.
Advice for my people that are still in school
While tech skills are in high demand, not everything is about coding or design. If you’re still in school, especially in the social sciences, engineering, or health-related fields, there are alternative pathways that can position you for global opportunities, particularly with international organizations and NGOs. Here are a few to consider:
📌 For Students in Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology:
🥇Consider learning Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). As global development programs expand, the demand for M&E specialists is rising. International NGOs, multilateral institutions, and development agencies constantly need people who can assess the effectiveness of projects and guide data-driven policy decisions.
📌 For Students in Engineering (especially Chemical), Geology, Geography, or Environmental Sciences:
🥈Look into Sustainability Analysis. More importantly, learn Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), emission modeling, and global sustainability standards like GHG Protocol, ISO 14040/44, or SBTi frameworks. These are in high demand in the global green economy, from consulting firms to development finance institutions and climate think tanks.
📌 For Students in Health Sciences (non-medical fields like public health, demography, epidemiology, etc.):
Learn R for Epidemiology. The ability to model disease spread, analyze health data, and conduct statistical research is highly sought after by public health organizations, global research centers, and NGOs, especially in post-pandemic health security work.
🎯 These suggestions are based on my personal experience working with international organizations as a freelancer. I've seen how these niche skills, when aligned with your core field, can open doors to global opportunities without needing to pivot into traditional tech roles.
Be open-minded and align your education with global needs. All the best
Nigerian Taekwondo champion Chukwudi Nzelu is battling Stage 2 lung cancer and urgently needs help. He’s spent over ₦6m and now needs ₦5m for pembrolizumab, radiation, MRI & care.
Kindly donate:
GTB 0178969386 — Henry Nzelu