17/11/2025
“It’s That Time of the Year I Wish I Could Be in Nigeria” The Silent Struggles of a Nigerian Immigrant in the UK Winter
Every year as the calendar slowly crawls into November and the wind begins to bite with a kind of wickedness only the UK can deliver, I always catch myself whispering the same sentence:
“It’s that time of the year I wish I could be in Nigeria.”
It’s a strange mixture of nostalgia, longing and pure survival instinct. Because truth be told, this UK winter no be anybody mate. Sometimes it genuinely feels like living inside a freezer that someone forgot to defrost. Temperatures dropping to -5°C, -7°C, sometimes even -10°C and somehow life still expects you to go to work and pretend everything is normal.
As a Nigerian immigrant trying to navigate this cold, grey world, the winter months are the most frustrating. Your fingers numb, your ears burning, your nose running like tap water and your heater bill rising faster than your bank account can keep up. One minute you’re shivering, the next minute you’re asking yourself, “Who send me?”
The Irony: Nigeria May Lack Opportunities but It Has Something Money Can’t Buy
Let’s be honest, one of the major reasons people migrate is opportunity. Better jobs, better pay, better systems. Nobody uproots their life and starts afresh in a foreign land just for adventure. Many of us came because we wanted more. More stability, more structure, more peace of mind, more financial security.
But in all the searching for “greener pastures,” you soon realise something:
Opportunities might be abroad, but comfort lives in Nigeria.
Nigeria might frustrate you with its economy, light issues and the unpredictable chaos that comes with daily living but the weather, my God! it is perfection. Warm, sunny, gentle and welcoming. A type of weather that hugs you, holds you, and reminds you that life is not meant to be lived shivering under five layers of clothing.
Nigeria’s weather is like home.
It is familiar.
It is kind.
It is ours.
More Than Weather: Nigeria Is a Vibe, a Culture, a Freedom You Can’t Replicate Abroad
There is a reason why Nigeria always sits so deeply in your heart, no matter how long you’ve lived away from it.
In Nigeria, life feels full.
The streets are alive, the food tastes better, the people understand your jokes, and you never have to explain the meaning of your name.
The culture is vibrant, expressive, noisy in the best way.
The food is fresh, spicy, unforgettable.
The freedom is priceless.
You can step outside in December without checking the weather app.
You can visit friends without scheduling appointments two weeks in advance.
You can eat suya at midnight and buy roasted corn on the roadside.
You can laugh loudly without someone giving you the side eye.
Everything feels natural because everything feels like home.
Even Christmas hits differently in Naija from the aroma of fried chicken, jollof rice, and plantain, to family gatherings, loud music, street carnivals, weddings, concerts, and that general festive excitement that wraps the entire country. December in Nigeria is an emotion, not just a month.
The Subtle Loneliness of an Immigrant Winter
Winter in the UK also comes with its own quiet struggles. Beyond the freezing temperatures, there’s the short daylight, the early sunsets, the long nights, and the emotional heaviness that sometimes creeps in.
You wake up when it’s dark.
You close from work when it’s dark.
You barely see the sun.
The days blur into each other.
And sometimes even with the opportunities and stability, you still feel alone.
That’s when your mind travels back home, back to the sunshine, the laughter, the loud greetings, the smells, the colours, the chaos that somehow feels like calm.
That’s when you say again,
“It’s that time of the year I wish I was be in Nigeria.”
Nigeria: Imperfect, But Irreplaceable
No matter where we go, Nigeria remains a part of us, stubbornly, beautifully, deeply.
We may complain about it, we may run from its challenges, but every December, when winter shows its true colours, our heart quietly packs a suitcase and travels home.
Because Nigeria, with all its imperfections is still:
The warmth we crave
The flavour we miss
The laughter we long for
The culture we carry everywhere
The identity we can never shake off
Home is home.
Cold or no cold, struggle or no struggle, opportunity or no opportunity NAIJA will always be NAIJA.
And sometimes, that alone is enough to make you miss it.
