The Diary of a Naija Immigrant

In this continuation of Ejemen’s story, we chat about Nigerian families back home and the perceptions of business owners abroad.

In this episode, we chat about entrepreneurship with the serial immigrant and serial entrepreneur- Ejemen who runs an African foodstuff shop. Ejemen, an entrepreneur with years of experience opening up shops across the globe. We hear about her experiences trying to be a business owner in places such as the United Arab Emirates and how she tackles the challenges associated with it.

Tomi and Onyie talk about how our childhood affects our current sense of self, navigating childhood trauma and celebrating our current achievements inspite of situations that shaped us.

On this “guestless” episode, Onyie and Tomi continue to explore how being an immigrant affects one’s sense of self, identity and confidence. We compare the social structure and classifications in Nigeria and Canada or diaspora in the quest to understand how these shape who we are or want to be in the country we have now chosen as our home.

We take a deeper look into Daniella’s immigration journey and struggle with identity shaped the idea of creating "The Bridge YYC" We also discuss her future plans for the business and plans to make Naija food more popular in Calgary.

On this episode of the Diary of a Naija Immigrant podcast, we’ll be chatting with Daniella Jasper-Okumagba, founder of The Brdge YYC, an international food market providing a platform where ethnic food sellers meet with different immigrants for a taste of home. We discuss where the idea came from, her journey into the world of entrepreneurship, and how she managed to stay in touch with her Nigeria...

We continue our chat with Maria, as she talks about her journey towards self-love, beauty and body positivity, whilst navigating her mental health after immigrating to Canada. She talks about issues that prevented her from realizing her love for self and the different ways she tries to reaffirm her newfound sense of beauty against cultural norms.

We explore Maria's journey towards finding the best place to raise her kids after a scary experience in Nigeria. She eventually stumbled on Calgary, Alberta. But the rest isn't history as she attempts to break free from her childhood inflicted image doubt, unleashed by her immigration journey.

Black don't crack, Black is gold. However, we struggle too, we are humans too. The expectations surrounding Black masculinity include being strong and stoic, thereby expecting them to mask their emotions including their struggle with mental health. However, being exposed to racism and discrimination, yet daring to be successful in a very white world can take a toll on anyone. But how can Black...

The effect of immigration on mental health cannot be overemphasized. However, it is hard to truly understand this without experiencing it. Today we have a special guest, the award winning celebrity photographer- Sam of Motif Photography. He bares it all about being so successful and a force to be reckoned with in Calgary, yet struggling with his mental health, behind closed doors. He tries to find...

In part two of our conversation with Tomi, we discuss what she would do differently if she could repeat her childhood. We talk about belonging and the countless ways to be Black.

In this episode, we chat with Tomi, The Diary of a Naija Immigrant cohost and editor-in-chief of Afros In Tha City. Tomi talks about growing up as a second generation immigrant and the realities of being raised by immigrant parents.

Grief hurts but to immigrate is to know peace... Peace? Does immigration truly bring peace of mind or does it unlock an extra layer of pain and struggle? This is the second and final part of Onyie's story. She continues to relieve her experience with her immigration journey, and how it opened a fresh wound of grief and sadness. She also talks about how her mental health, and marriage suffered due...

On this episode, Onyie talks about the road to immigrating from her country - Nigeria, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She shares some of her experience, joys, pain and heartaches as she moved with her two young children in the dead of the famous Edmonton/Calgary Winter. All in the quest to give her kids the life she never had. Don't forget to rate, share and leave a comment wherever you listen t...