Why many more Nigerians may seek greener pastures

THERE  are many reasons why Nigerians choose to leave the country. While some might leave because migration is ingrained in human nature, others exit the country because of the unfavourable socioeconomic conditions. Take my own case for example.  I was born in July 1961 in Igboora, Oyo State of Nigeria. After completing my High School education in 1979, I worked for a few years at Temperance Farms Limited at Sango Otta in Ogun State. In 1986, I started my own restaurant business as a sole proprietor in Sango Otta, Ogun State. However, in 1989, I diverted into barbing salon and laundry business, also in Sango Otta, Ogun State. All this I did as a sole proprietor. The business was expanding and in an effort to grow, I relocated to the nation’s capital in Abuja in 1999.

At the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, I continued with my laundry business and also diversified into car wash services where I had 22 employees on my payroll. I had four ‘car wash’ and laundry business locations in Utako, Games Village, Kaura Market and Gwarimpa Estate. My business generated an average of N3,600,000 monthly with a net profit of N1,900,000. I was a Yoruba man living and operating my business in the midst of predominantly Hausa/ Gwari people, many of whom were full of jealousy, envy and hatred. Nigerians are aware that members of some ethnic groups basically control power at the federal level. Sadly, many saw me as an outsider intent on taking over their businesses.

At a point in 2012, some of my detractors set up a parallel business with mine but they could not compete with me. When all their efforts to diminish my business failed, they resorted to the use of government agencies against me by instigating frivolous allegations. They succeeded in revoking the occupancy granted me in two of my business locations in 2016. I was given one week to remove my business and the physical structures on the land from the location in Game Village and Gwarimpa. I did everything legally possible to retain the business but the powers of government and the people behind this plot were beyond me.

In April 2017, the last two of my surviving ventures were forcefully pulled down by the agents of government with the excuse that the religious insurgents known as Boko Haram were using my facilities at night to meet and plan their attacks on the citizenry. This left me with no source of income to take care of myself and my family. I felt danger. I felt that if I did not leave the country, my life and the lives of my children and spouse were in complete danger.

• Akinlabi lives in the United States.