What's It Like Being A Nigerian Living in Jamaica?

Summary

Ugochukwu Durueke, a Nigerian from Imo State, describes growing up in a semi-rural community surrounded by farmland and wooded areas. His childhood included catching grasshoppers, climbing trees, making brooms and baskets from palm leaves, and hunting small animals alongside his schooling.

He moved to Jamaica in 1995, during a period of political repression in Nigeria. He also describes the move as part of a faith-driven journey: in Jamaica, he became a Christian and later worked as a pastor, evangelist, and teacher. Before arriving, he had become interested in Jamaica through the poetry of Claude McKay and the music of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and other Jamaican artists.

What He Enjoys—and Finds Challenging

• He appreciates Jamaica’s social institutions and the sense of community and camaraderie he has found there.
• He dislikes the country’s high rate of violence and wishes more people took pride in Jamaican culture rather than looking mainly to American culture.
• He especially values Jamaicans’ willingness to help someone who is sick or in trouble in public.
• When away from Jamaica, he misses his church, friends, and social connections.

Cultural Experiences and Food

• He sees similarities between Nigerian and Jamaican social life, particularly the extended gatherings, visiting, conversation, dancing, and celebrations around festive seasons.
• He was surprised that plants familiar from Nigeria are used differently in Jamaica: sorrel was not a drink in his community, and breadfruit was not something he ate there.
• He enjoys Jamaican food, including what sounds in the subtitles like yellow yam with breadfruit and baked chicken, as well as curry chicken and rice.
• He recounts a funny early misunderstanding: he used a Nigerian hand gesture to call a landlord’s daughter, but in Jamaica the gesture meant “bye-bye.” He eventually learned to call her using a different gesture.
• As a teacher, he has answered students’ questions about whether Nigeria has vehicles, electricity, motorbikes, and airplanes. He explained that Nigeria is diverse and modern in many places, and that English is widely used for instruction and communication across its many language groups.
• He returned to Nigeria in 1998 for a month but has not been back since.

Travel Highlights and Advice

In Jamaica, he has visited Portland, climbed the Blue Mountains, seen rivers, and visited Dunn’s River Falls and Negril’s beaches. He has also spent time in Savannah, Hanover, Montego Bay, Kingston, and St. Ann.

His advice for people moving to Jamaica is to avoid isolating themselves: socialize, reach out to people, and look for ways to contribute positively.

His favourite Jamaican expression is “Yeah man,” which has become part of his everyday speech—even when he is in Nigeria.

Notable Locations, Products, and Speakers

• Locations: Imo State and the hometown of Ndirim; University of Calabar; Portland; the Blue Mountains; Dunn’s River Falls; Negril; Kingston; and St. Ann.
• Products and foods: Sorrel, breadfruit, and Jamaican dishes.
• Speakers: Interviewer Xavier Murphy and guest Ugochukwu Durueke.