The Diary of a Naija Immigrant

In this episode, we sit down with one of Calgary’s most sought-after celebrity barbers, Edy—a man who defies expectations. Not only is he shaping looks, he’s also the only barber with a PhD in Law. But beyond the titles is a story marked by resilience, reinvention, and relentless faith. After years of struggling and working tirelessly to build something tangible for himself, he finally makes it—in...

He proudly calls himself Calgary’s finest MC and comedian, and if you’ve seen Sam Precious in action, you already know the humour is bold, loud, and unapologetically unfiltered. But behind the laughter is a thoughtful and deeply reflective side that many people don’t always see. In this episode, Sam talks about arriving in Canada and how he experienced what he calls a “soft landing.” He shares why...

In this special Black History Month episode, I sit down with the remarkable mama Moji Taiwo to unpack a journey that is as powerful as it is profound. From her early days arriving in Calgary—when Alberta’s Black community was small and visibility was even smaller—Moji shares what it meant to navigate unfamiliar spaces with grace, resilience, and unwavering dignity. As one of the few Black faces in...

In this episode of The Diary of a Naija Immigrant, I sit down with my friend Chioma Nwigwe for an honest, layered conversation that gently but firmly shakes the table. We talk about feminism, the rights of the girl child, male patriarchy, and the freedom to question societal expectations placed on women.  Chioma shares why she always thought dads had more fun, why she wanted a baby even when marri...

In the final episode of The Diary of a Naija Immigrant Podcast for 2025, Onyie wraps up a transformative year with her most special guest yet—her husband, Ekene. Filmed right in “The Obi house” for maximum comfort, this intimate conversation dives into the emotional highs and lows of 2025, from the intensity of holiday work life to navigating personal loss, identity, and family. Ekene opens up abo...

In this heart-to-heart conversation, I sit down with my incredible production assistant, Tomide Bamigboye, to unpack her remarkable immigration journey and the resilience that carried her from uncertainty to unbelievable film sets — yes, even Ghostbusters and more. We dive into her growing list of film achievements, the grit behind each opportunity, and the quiet strength that has shaped her story...

In this episode of Diary of a Naija Immigrant Podcast, we step outside our usual conversations and dive into the world of tech with the brilliant Evangel Oputa. From laughs to lightbulb moments, this episode is a mix of funny, thought-provoking, eye-opening, and deeply educational insights about how technology is shaping the way we live, work, and connect. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a casua...

We are sitting down with the incredible Cynthia Nwajiaku — an HR professional turned co-owner of Two Men and a Truck Calgary . Her journey is the ultimate immigrant success story: resilience, entrepreneurship, and the brilliance of turning a bad experience into a thriving business. At first glance, Cynthia is every bit the dazzling socialite — draped in designer pieces, radiating elegance, and exu...

In this deeply personal episode, Lanre Ajayi shares his raw and inspiring immigration story — an unexpected move to Canada that quickly turned into a rollercoaster of culture shocks, job rejections, and near-legal trouble. From being overdressed at interviews to being swindled within months of arrival, Lanre holds nothing back as he reflects on the emotional toll and lessons learned. But this stor...

In this heartfelt episode of The Diary of a Naija Immigrant podcast, we sit down with a remarkable mother-daughter duo - Mercy and Felicia, to explore their powerful journey of sacrifice, resilience, and love across continents. The daughter was the first to make the leap, immigrating to Canada with her family of three and starting a new life in Calgary. But when she gave birth to twins and faced o...

In this powerful episode, Perpie opens up about her path to becoming an award-winning artist in Canada, while navigating the challenges of motherhood in a fast-paced, tech-driven world. With honesty and vulnerability, she shares her family's deeply personal experience with the exposure of her children to inappropriate adult content. We're incredibly grateful to Perpie for her courage and t...

November is Family Violence Prevention Month in Alberta. Onyie sits with Mr. Ife and Dr. Dami Adingupu, the founders of TheMarriageAdvocates Canada and ThrivingRelationshipsNow, organizations dedicated to equipping couples with the skills to build strong, lasting relationships. They bring fresh perspective and insight on such a sensitive topic. Did you know that research shows that every 1 in 3 ma...

We kick off the DONI season with the very energetic and amiable - Dennis Agbegha! Dennis is one of the most popular socialites in Calgary, however, there's a story behind his tremendous achievements in the city of Calgary. We dived into his back story or like he describes it, his why!

In the midst of our goodbye episode with Tomi, she was gracious to give us tips on how to network and mingle this Summer in the city of Calgary. This episode also marks the cap to our season 1 of DONI. But we will be back and better in the Fall with some exciting new episodes. Something is cooking guys, so please get excited and watch this space!

It is definitely a mixed bag situation on this episode. While we celebrate a big win for the podcast, we also have some goodbyes to say and goodbyes are never fun! But you'd have to listen to know what's in this mixed bag though.

Dr. Tolu continues the story of her motherhood journey, while unraveling the human complexity of every child being different. However, at the end of the day the intent in the actions we take while raising our kids matters most. She gives practical examples of her experience while raising her kids and how she navigates or navigated parenting during and through her continuous immigration process.

We seat and chat with the very wise and knowledgeable Dr. Tolu Solola as she tells us about her journey of motherhood in the UK, where her son faced several racist verbal abuse which made him want to live in Nigeria aka the "Brown factory" Alas, his wish was granted, but was it worth it? You'll have to listen to find out.

Chimdi talks about how being a psychologist helped her process her experience of being different yet oblivious of it. She also talks about her experience on her very first trip to Nigeria (Lagos). It definitely wasn't what she expected. This episode was packed with so much gossip and fun topics.

Chimdi takes us on her journey of being the only black girl in her community (school), experiencing some weird micro aggressions yet being too young and naive to give nuance or language to her experiences. She talks about how she was picked out in her class because of the stereotype associated with African kids. You'd have to listen to understand, but Chimdi gives so much perspective on this episo...

Tola also talks about the mentality of being quiet and grateful for being in Canada. She delves deeper into her journey as a young immigrant navigating university, her struggles with mental health and how fine arts and poetry became a form of expression for her.

In this episode, we sit down with Adetola Adedipe, a Nigerian-South African poet based in Calgary, Canada and goes under the name “aloT of Poetry”.  We discuss her immigration story, from not knowing about her parent's immigration plan, and suddenly having to leave behind her connections in South Africa and then, finding ways to cope and express her feelings about being in a foreign country.

Wunmi Idowu takes us on the journey of finding her voice in a society built to make her lose it.  She might have succeeded in creating spaces for creatives through her platform, but it is not void of obstacles and days that remind her that she is Black and different.

Onyie sits down with Wunmi Idowu - founder and director of WOEZO Africa Music and dance theatre, incorporated . She recalls her journey as a first generation immigrant, moving to Canada at 10 and surviving as one of the exceedingly few Black people in Edmonton.  Despite being called names like "monkey" and asked to go back to her country, she finds her voice and ultimately created space for other...

Tomi and Onyie sit down to look at the year that it has been. We discuss the gains of the year, the tears and losses, but most importantly, we count our blessings and encourage you to do the same.