In today's episode of #HustleStory, Gbenga shares his journey of relocating to the UK as a dependent with his wife, who was an international student, and how they ended up in Canada making a total of 250,000 CAD per year.

The Hustle Story series is a dedicated effort to capture and share the financial journeys of African immigrants in the UK, USA, Europe or Canada.

We highlight the diverse paths they take to achieve financial stability, OhentPay aims to empower and support prospective immigrants. If you want to share your Hustle Story with us, click here.

How did you financially prepare before moving to the UK?

G: I was planning to move to another country some years back. I even submitted applications for my Master's program but I fell in love and decided to stay back in Nigeria. I met my wife, then girlfriend during her NYSC service and she wasn't looking to move at that time in her life.

Buhari got elected for a 2nd term in office in 2019 and my girlfriend felt she had to leave Nigeria immediately before things got worse. We ended up doing a court marriage in Nigeria and started applications to Japa.

At the time, I was working remotely as a Junior Software Engineer for a company in Germany, and I was able to use my salary account as proof of funds. Fortunately, when we shared our plans to relocate, my parents generously sent us a significant amount of money to support our move.

My in-laws also decided to sponsor my wife’s education as a wedding gift, and a close friend of mine went above and beyond by paying for a house in the UK as a wedding present for us. Thanks to the incredible support from family and friends, we were financially ready for our move to the UK and deeply grateful for their kindness.

We moved to the UK with my wife on a study visa for her master’s program, while I came along as her dependent. I decided to put my master’s project on hold after realizing it wasn’t something I needed to pursue just yet.

So I will say moving to the UK was soft for us and pretty swift. Thankful for the gift of family and friends. 

Can you share your experiences with getting your first job in the UK and the salary they offered you?

G: When I came here, I wanted to make more money simply for the sake of it, not that I really needed it. I still had my job as a Junior Software Engineer with the company in Germany, working remotely and my wife’s parents already paid for her tuition.

After a few weeks in the UK, I started feeling bored being home alone. My wife would be off to class, and although I had tasks to focus on, I often found myself restless once they were done. Out of that boredom, I decided to take on a physical job in the UK. Yes, I got a job simply because I was bored.

However, two months in, I resigned. The stress was starting to affect my health, and I realized that my remote job was more than enough, even if it didn’t completely cure the boredom.

I was earning £11.5/hour at the job, and every penny went toward taking care of my wife and me. After I left, I decided to fully focus on my remote work and let go of the extra stress.

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What are you currently doing to earn a living and support yourself?

G: I work as a Senior Software Engineer, earning 200,000 CAD a year, while my wife works as a Social Media Manager, making 50,000 CAD annually.

We decided to move to Canada after life in the UK started feeling dull—most of the people we knew had moved away, and my wife’s earnings were peanuts.

When we weighed our options, Canada stood out in many ways, making the decision an easy one. Since my company had a branch in Canada, I requested a transfer, and the move was set.

We don’t have kids yet, and it’s not something we’re planning for—at least not in the next 10 years. My wife and I work together to support ourselves and our home, and honestly, it works perfectly for us this way.

How much do you allocate to bills (e.g. rent) and how has this changed over the years?

G: When we first arrived in the UK, my amazing friend, who gifted us a house to stay in, made our rent situation so much easier. We absolutely loved the house and its location.

Once the rent he covered expired, we moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in Leicester, paying £1,500/month for the year until we left the UK.

Now, we’re living in Ottawa, Canada, where the rent is definitely not for the fainthearted. We’re paying over $2,800 for a 3-bedroom apartment, which is quite a leap from what we were used to paying in the UK.

Thankfully, my job pays well enough to comfortably handle the cost of living in Canada. My wife and I are planning to buy a permanent home. Interestingly, the place we currently live in is up for sale, and we’re considering purchasing it.

We want to secure our future in terms of money because it is easy to go bankrupt in this place, no thanks to taxes.

How do you handle your savings and investment?

G: When it comes to investments, I feel like I’ve made some smart choices for myself. I own stocks in the company I work for, having been with them for over 5 years now.

Back in Nigeria, I have a few flats that my parents manage, and I also run a business with my sister there. She handles the day-to-day, but I step in to help when needed.

The salary I earn from these business's go into my domiciliary account in Nigeria, which I am saving for the future.

In the UK, I was saving 50% of my salary, with the other half going toward rent, household expenses, and our daily needs. Here in Canada, things are pretty similar, but now we also have bi-annual vacations, which I absolutely love.

My wife and I have this tradition where she covers the costs of our trips, and all I have to do is pack a bag and follow her around the world. Our last vacation was in South Korea, and I think the only thing I ended up paying for were the gifts I bought for friends.

We’re pretty flexible with how we manage our money, but I always try to ensure she doesn’t have to dip into her salary. She insists on contributing, so when she can, she takes care of it.

We also have a joint account where we both contribute, setting aside money for the future in case we decide to have children. I put about 10% of my salary into that account, and we’re both signatories.

If you could go back, what would you do differently in terms of money?

G: If I could do things differently, I’d have a proper wedding ceremony. We couldn't do this years back because we wanted to invest the money in our journey to Japa.

Although we plan to have a proper ceremony for our 10th anniversary, I do wish we had done it earlier. I also wish I had pursued a Master’s degree, whether in Nigeria or online, as it would have helped me progress more quickly in my career.

But honestly, I wouldn’t change much. I can’t imagine leaving Nigeria earlier and not meeting my wife!

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Now that you’re in a different country from Nigeria, how do you feel about black tax?

G: I have suffered from it and I’m past that stage at the moment. When I first moved to the UK, posting on my Facebook was like sending out a call for people in need of financial help so I stopped.

Back home in Nigeria, people often think that once you move abroad, money flows easily because of the exchange rates, and I wish that were the case.

But the reality is, people here have their own lives to manage, and things can be really tough, especially for those who come here to study and have to navigate everything on their own.

Nigerians have a strong mentality of helping their family and friends back home, which is truly admirable. It's a sense of community that people abroad often lack.

However, this mentality can be both a blessing and a curse, especially when it comes to black tax, which can be a heavy burden. I’m incredibly grateful to my parents, my wife’s parents, my siblings, and my friends who made sure we were set for our move to the UK.

Thankfully, no one in my family or among my friends asks for money. We’ve been fortunate to be well-educated and financially stable, and we consider ourselves truly blessed.

The black tax that happened to me was from friends I wasn’t very close to and I always had the option to say no, so it was better for me. 

Do you have any advice or insights for prospective immigrants in terms of financial preparation and job-seeking?

G: Please come with your wife, husband, partner, or somebody else because you will need someone to support you financially and emotionally.

In terms of jobs, get a degree that will make you employable, don’t get a degree because you want to japa because it will haunt you. 

Have I said people should come here with their significant other? E get why!

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