For whatever reason, changing location, even if it’s for a week, brings out different sides of Nigerians that they’ll never show at home. Here are 7 things they do outside the country but don’t do back home:
1. Instagram Flooding
The moment they touch down, their IG turns into a travel gallery. Every cup of coffee, train station, and random streetlight gets a whole photoshoot. Back home? Their slogan was ‘’I’m not a social media person’’
2. Become A Bureau De Change Expert
Being overseas suddenly turns them into an Economics professor. You’ll see them converting every purchase they make, murmuring, “Wait oh, that’s ₦6,200 for bread?”, like they cared about the inflation rate back home.
3. Being Overly Kind to Strangers
They smile at every stranger, maintain eye contact, and say a friendly hello unprovoked as if they are running for a political office. Please, what happened to the Nigerian version of themselves that hiss at people for bumping into them?
4. Craving Nigerian Food
They will swear Amala and Ofada sauce are delicacies foreign chefs should study, googling “Nigerian caterer near me” like they’re searching for a long-lost love. Meanwhile, in the motherland, they delight in Creamy Pasta.
5. Using Public Transport
“Omo, London Underground is mad efficient.”—they say. Out of nowhere, they are now obsessed with using trains, buses, and will even consider walking. Meanwhile, back home, they will look at a BRT bus or people walking with side-eye.
6. Being More Fashionable/Stylish
They are now interested in color combos and layering outfits for 15°C weather, like it’s Paris Fashion Week. They are particular about what they wear indoors and carefully select their fit for a quick stop at the supermarket. In Nigeria? they’re in uniform, bubu, or jalabia—no matter the weather!
7. Become A Travel Influencer
Thanks to a japa visa or sudden access to international trips, they develop a “travel hobby.” Overnight, they’re airport regulars, food market explorers, and travel vloggers. Every video starts with a high-pitched “hi guys!” and their bio now proudly displays the Nigerian flag plus the countries they’ve “conquered”. It’s less about vacation, more about testing their luck as the next big travel content creator.. Back home? It’s like their phone camera doesn’t exist.At the end of the day, we all know the abroad version of them is not the same as the Nigerian version. One visa approved, and suddenly they become this smiling, train-loving, amala-craving travel influencer. No shame, though, like the saying goes, “When in Rome, behave like the Romans.”
