The scenes played in Nigeria during the holidays may be in the movie: an emotional party at the airport terminal, champagne flows over the waters of high-end clubs, and A-List Afrobeats performers occupy the stage nationwide.
This is when Nigerians abroad return to their homeland. They are called nicknames, I just came back (IJGB) instead of the full suitcase.
Their Western accents were immersed in Pidgin, and their wallets were subject to increased exchange rates and their presence fueled the economy.
But it also highlights an unsettling fact.
Those living in Nigeria, making money in the local Naira currency, feel enclosed in their cities, especially in Lagos and the economic hubs of the capital Abuja, as prices rise during the festival.
Residents say that for “Detty Decump,” the term is especially used to refer to celebrations during Christmas and New Year.
The radio host in Lagos told the BBC that DETTY made it almost impossible for Lagos to be a local in December – with terrible traffic and inflated prices, businesses stopped prioritizing its average customers.
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But he is not the only one who holds these views, and there are some that are thinking about Easter and the diaspora summer season are approaching, whether IJGB is helping bridge the class divide in Nigeria or making it wider.
The radio show host added: “Nigeria is very classified. Ironically, we are a poor country, so it’s a little stupid.”
“The wealth gap is very big. It’s almost like we’re isolated from the world.”
Indeed, while oil-rich Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest economies and one of the most populous countries on the continent, its citizens of more than 230 million face enormous challenges and limited opportunities.
Earlier this year, Oxfam charities warned that Nigeria’s wealth gap was reaching “crisis levels.”
The statistics for 2023 are shocking.
According to the World Inequality Database, more than 10% of the population owns more than 60% of Nigeria’s wealth. For those with jobs, 10% of the population will bring 42% of their income home.
The World Bank said that people below the poverty line have a body size of 87 million – “the second largest poorer person in the world after India”.
The shanty towns built on marginal lands – like Lagos – are a stark example of the wealth gap in the country [AFP]
Martins Ifeanacho, professor of sociology at the University of Port Harcourt, said that since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, this gap and the resulting class divide have been evolving.
“We have experienced a lot of financial difficulties,” the scholar told the BBC, who returned to Nigeria after studying in Ireland in the 1990s.
He pointed his finger at the greed of those who were in political power – both at the federal and state level.
“We have a political elite whose calculations are based on how to gain power, accumulate wealth, to capture more power.
“The average people are excluded from the equation, which is why there are a lot of difficulties.”
But it’s not just money in a bank account.
Wealth, real or perceived, can determine access, status and opportunity – the presence of the diaspora can amplify the class divide.
The radio show host explained: “It’s hard to point out the class system in Nigeria. It’s not just money, it’s about perception.”
He gave examples of going out to eat in Lagos and how peacocks were so important.
In restaurants, those who arrive at the Range Rover will be taken care of soon, and those in Kia may be ignored, the radio show host said.
Social mobility is difficult when the country’s wealth remains within a small elite.
As controversy piles up with those trying to climb the ladder, for many Nigerians, the only realistic way to a better life is to leave.
The World Bank blames “job creation and entrepreneurship prospects”, killing the “absorption of 3.5 million people entering the workforce every year.”
“Many workers choose to immigrate for better opportunities,” it said.
Middle-class Nigerians have been seeking opportunities abroad since the 1980s, but in recent years, urgency has increased, especially among Gen Z and millennials.
This massive Exodus is called “japa”, which is a Yoruba word that means “escape”.
The World Bank says Nigeria provides jobs to 3.5 million Nigerians every year [Getty Images]
A 2022 survey found that at least 70% of Nigerians will relocate if they can.
But for many people, leaving is not easy. Studying abroad, this is the most common route that can cost tens of thousands of dollars, excluding travel, accommodation and visa fees.
“JAPA has created this ideal culture and people want to leave the country now,” said Lulu Okwara, a 28-year-old recruitment officer.
She went to the UK to study finance in 2021 – a member of IJGB and has returned to Nigeria at least three times since moving.
Ms Okwara pointed out that in Nigeria, there is pressure to succeed. A culture of expected achievement.
“Is this success or nothing,” she told the BBC. “There is no room for failure.”
This deep embedding emotion makes people feel like they have to do anything successful.
Especially for those from more working-class backgrounds. IJGB can prove it.
“When people go out, their dreams are always coming back as heroes, mainly at Christmas or other celebrations,” Professor Ifeanacho said.
“You get home and mix with people you missed for a long time.
“They will give you the type of welcome that is about to run to your kids, something you love and cherish.”
Chasing success at all costs and bringing a foreign accent can help you climb Nigeria’s social ladder – even if you are not abroad.
Professor Ifeanacho said: “People fake accents to gain access. The more you have, the higher your social status will be.”
He recalls a story about a pastor who was preached on the radio.
“When they told me that this guy didn’t leave Nigeria, I said, ‘No, that’s impossible.’ Because when you hear him talking, everything is American,” he said incredibly.
Afrobeats star Rema held a huge show in Lagos before Christmas last year [Getty Images]
The accents of the United States and Britain, in particular, act as another currency in both professional and social environments, smoothing the path.
Echoes on social media suggest that some IJGBs are leading the way – they may occupy the return of hero worship, but actually lack financial influence.
Bizzle Osikoya, owner of a plug-in entertainment company that hosts live music events in West Africa, said he had some problems that reflected this.
He told the BBC how several IJGB events were participating in his events – but who continued to try to make money.
“They went back to the U.S. and Canada and had a dispute over their payments,” he said.
This may reflect the desperate efforts to maintain a successful facade in every display of the society that examines wealth.
In Nigeria, performance seems to be the key – the IJGB that can show off is certainly able to climb the class ladder.
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